lers, and exposes them to thethreat of criminal prosecution. Furthermore, similar to other body or mind-alteringsubstances (coffee, asprin, etc), marijuana may also result in psychological dependence. Actual proof of physical dependence remains unproven.Two powerful forces appear to be colliding: the growing acceptance of medicalcannabis and the proscription against any use of marijuana, medical or non-medical.There are no signs that we are moving away from absolute prohibition to a regulatorysystem that would allow responsible use of marijuana. As a result, we are going to haveto compromise to solve this problem. First of all, marijuana should be declared legal forprescribed medical use. This progress is slow, inspite of Proposition 215, but thepositive effects of medical marijuana cannot be overlooked. For example, aspirin, thefirst of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), rapidly displaced cannabisas the treatment of choice for this and many other kinds of mild to moderate pain, duringthe late 19th century. But NSAIDs now take more than 7,000 lives annually in theUnited States alone; Cannabis, by contrast, has never killed anyone using it for therelief of pain or any other purpose. It is not surprising that many patients now treat theirosteoarthritis with cannabis, asserting that it provides a better quality of pain relief thanNSAIDs and also elevates their spirits (Randall and O’Leary 39). Increasing medical use of marijuana will inevitably make growing numbers ofpeople familiar with cannabis and its derivatives. As they learn that its harmfulness hasbeen greatly exaggerated and its usefulness underestimated, the pressure will increasefor drastic change in the way we as a society deal with this drug. Thus, the medicalmarijuana issue calls out for responsible, honest leadership at the federal level. Untilthat time, individuals who can benefit from this substance will continue to rally aroundany possible ...
