Guest column: Legal marijuana would help millions

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February 2, 2008

Anonymous The Joplin Globe Sat Feb 02, 2008, 09:41 AM CST

By Ron Hutchinson

Globe guest columnist

Have you heard the news? There is now a low-cost drug proven to ease a cancer patient’s suffering. Not only does this drug reduce the physical and psychological pain of cancer, but, more importantly, it restores a chemotherapy patient’s appetite.

The drug, of course, is marijuana.

Unfortunately, in a 6-3 ruling last year, the U.S. Supreme Court turned thumbs down on the drug, overturning laws in 11 states which allowed doctors to prescribe the medication to their cancer patients.

Pouring salt into the wound, the U.S. House of Representatives — in a preposterous 273-152 vote — opted likewise to outlaw the drug for cancer patients. Representative Roy Blunt, R-Mo., turned his back on cancer victims, as did Rep. Jim Ryun, R-Kan., and Rep. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. Rep. John Boozman, R-Ariz., also agreed that marijuana had no earthly medical benefits, despite the anecdotal evidence from thousands of cancer patients. (Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t see M.D. behind any of these congressmen’s names.)

One of the amendment’s co-sponsors, Rep. Rohrabacher, R-Calif., broke down in tears during his speech in support of the bill. Talking of his mother who died of cancer, Rep. Rohrabacher questioned the rationale of jailing people whose only crime was the overpowering need to relieve their pain.

I’m guessing none of the shortsighted lawmakers voting against the amendment has ever been attached intravenously to a chemotherapy drip. Probably never been in a room full of bone-weary cancer patients — expressions grim, hair thinning — stretched out on recliners as the chemo-poison drips into their vein. (Oncologists don’t like to talk about it, but a chemotherapy patient can die from the complications of starvation. The thing is, you don’t have an appetite when you’re on chemo. Patients often lose 20 percent of their body weight thanks to an unwelcome companion: debilitating nausea. Marijuana helps to restore this loss of appetite.)

This archaic intolerance for doctor-prescribed marijuana is even more difficult to swallow given the results of a recent Gallup Poll. The poll revealed 80 percent of Americans favor doctor-prescribed marijuana for cancer patients. Apparently, neither the U.S. Supreme Court nor the U.S. House of Representatives are reading polls these days. Or they simply don’t care.

Remember, this is doctor-prescribed marijuana. I’m not talking about a cancer patient making a desperate, late-night drug buy in some seedy downtown Joplin alley. It is prescribed by a doctor in a clinically controlled environment like any other drug. Why is this concept so difficult to accept?

I’ve heard the argument against condoning doctor-prescribed marijuana. It goes something like this: Providing medical marijuana to cancer patients is the first step toward legalizing the drug. Nonsense! That’s like saying morphine should be outlawed as a pain reliever for fear it, too, will become legalized. Both arguments are classic examples of circular logic. A person makes an assumption that can’t be proven, then derives a result from this assumption to prove a point. Political doublespeak.

To say the argument for outlawing medical marijuana is dangerously flawed is like saying the sinking of the Titanic was an unfortunate accident — a towering understatement.

I’m not suggesting marijuana be legalized. Not now. Not ever. But honestly, can’t our elected officials show some compassion for the 1.4 million new cancer patients each year who have no voice of their own.

To deny medical marijuana to cancer patients is simply wrong. The objections are irrational. The suffering is needless.

Ron Hutchinson is freelance writer and lives in Joplin.

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Joplin Sensible Sentencing Initiative

Organizers say petition drive on marijuana plan near goal A petition drive to put a marijuana-decriminalization proposal before the city of Joplin is close to having the necessary number of signatures, according to organizers.
June 18, 2008
Voices: Unsupported criticisms The letter by Dianne Slater (Globe, Jan. 31) is based more on a logical fallacy than actual scientific data on behavioral patterns of marijuana users.

Naturally, critics of such a move warn that decriminalizing cannabis will increase pot use among Joplin’s young people. Such concerns, while understandable, are not supported by epidemiological evidence.
February 10, 2008
<img src=" http://www.joplinglobeonline.com/images/zope/breaking.gif " Border=0> 11/21/07, 2:58 p.m. Marijuana decriminalization initiative petition announced On Friday afternoon, standing on the sidewalk at Joplin City Hall, Kelly Maddy, the president of the Joplin chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, flanked by Kris Krane, the executive director of the national organization, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, and Ryan Denham, President of the Alliance for Drug Reform Policy in Arkansas, fired the first shot in what will be a year-long battle to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana within the city of Joplin and the paraphernalia that’s used to smoke it.
February 3, 2008
<img src="http://www.joplinglobeonline.com/images/zope/extra.gif" border=0> Pot-signature drive kicks into gear <font color="#ff0000">w/ links Sensible Sentencing Initiative info, audio, video & petition language</font> Four months after Kelly Maddy stood on the sidewalk outside Joplin City Hall, flanked by supporters of his effort to decriminalize marijuana use in the city, the campaign is kicking into high gear.

Maddy, president of the Joplin chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, spent several hours Sunday in front of Dillons grocery store, soliciting signatures for the Sensible Sentencing Initiative. He met with a couple of less-than-friendly responses.
February 2, 2008 1 Photo 4 Links
Dave Woods: Readers fire shots in war on war on drugs I have to admit, I admire Kelly Maddy. I admire the grassroots political organizer’s commitment to the marijuana decriminalization cause and the work he has done in Joplin in support of the Sensible Sentencing Initiative.
February 2, 2008 1 Photo 1 Link
Guest column: Legal marijuana would help millions Have you heard the news? There is now a low-cost drug proven to ease a cancer patient’s suffering. Not only does this drug reduce the physical and psychological pain of cancer, but, more importantly, it restores a chemotherapy patient’s appetite.

The drug, of course, is marijuana.
February 2, 2008 1 Photo
Pot petitions gaining ground It might seem unlikely that an initiative petition aimed at decriminalizing possession of limited amounts of marijuana and the paraphernalia used to smoke it could make it onto the ballot in Joplin — let alone pass muster with voters.

But similar efforts have passed in nearby cities such as Columbia and Eureka Springs, Ark.

“We weren’t sure what to anticipate,” said Columbia police Chief Randy Boehm.
January 28, 2008 1 Photo
Voices: Give voters the choice Several letters to the editor have voiced concerns regarding the launch of our municipal initiative petition to lessen the criminal penalties associated with the possession of small amounts of marijuana. We understand those concerns and wish to address them.

Currently, Joplin police arrest an estimated 230 people annually for violating marijuana laws.
October 10, 2007
Voices: Legalize marijuana As a Christian, I wish Kelly Maddy and the Joplin chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws success, but for re-legalizing, not just decriminalizing, cannabis.
September 30, 2007
Dave Woods: Pot stories keep comments section smokin' Joplin police Chief Lane J. Roberts was blunt about his past use of marijuana during a recent interview concerning the launch of the Sensible Sentencing Initiative.
September 28, 2007 1 Photo 2 Links
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Guest column: Legal marijuana would help millions

Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr wants the city to distribute weather radios to all Joplin homes that don’t have one. That’s 11,000 radios. Do you think that’s a good use of $300,440?

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