Governor Doyle recently said that he supports lifting restrictions on the use of medicinal marijuana, arguing that medical doctors can already use their discretion to prescribe drugs that are addictive and/or dangerous. It is certainly time for the legislature to act and follow through with this request.
The restrictions against pot use, especially for medicinal purposes, make absolutely no sense. They are based on assumptions that marijuana is a “gateway” drug and appear to be rooted in an archaic and puritanical sense of moral self-righteousness. After being told to “just say no to drugs” time and time again, it is uncomfortable for many people to accept the fact that maybe one of those drugs isn’t as bad as we originally thought.
However, it is time to get over this hurdle and our silly predispositions about marijuana. If you think about it, who are we as individuals and as a society to prohibit a cancer patient from relieving his/her pain by smoking pot? Morphine is a hazardous drug that has addictive properties and the propensity to be abused, but we nonetheless do not morally castigate people who, under consultation with a medical professional, opt to use it to ease the suffering of certain illnesses.
Perhaps the most convincing reason that we should legalize medicinal marijuana use is its potential treatment properties. For example, the main chemical compound found in pot that makes people feel “high,” THC, can inhibit the growth of lung tumors. Although this fact might at first sound counterintuitive because we associate smoking with an increased risk of lung cancer, researchers at the University of Michigan found that regularly smoking marijuana alone (as opposed to cigarettes) does not increase the risk of lung cancer. Furthering the case for marijuana’s potential untapped treatment value is research from a group of scientists who found that cannabidiol, a chemical compound found in pot, can actually decrease the aggressiveness of breast cancer, helping prevent or slow the spread of cancer cells outside of the breast.
It is time for Wisconsin to stand up and shake off the ludicrous preconceptions it has regarding pot. The legislature should act and legalize the use of medicinal marijuana, joining the other 13 states (Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington) that have the sense and fortitude to improve the health of their people.
P.S. I’ve linked to the primary research articles that back up my claims. If you access them through a computer on campus, you can download the original article and read the research for yourself.