News Release [print friendly page]
October 11, 2002

No: Addictive Drug Has No Medical Value (Seattle Times)

Op-ed by Gregory M. Gassett, assistant special agent in charge for the Seattle Field Division

Seattle Times (WA), October 11, 2002

Arguments for the legalization of "medical" marijuana do little to ensure that the facts concerning marijuana are openly discussed and only further confuse the issue for the American public. The truth is that marijuana is a highly addictive drug and has no medical value.

Marijuana is one of the most abused drugs in this country. It is one of the first illegal drugs young people are exposed to and some experiment with. Using marijuana often lowers their inhibition against trying other, less-forgiving drugs such as Ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. The drug's effects cause memory loss, trouble with problem-solving, loss of motor skills and an increase in heart rate, panic attacks and anxiety. Marijuana weakens the body's immune system, which further complicates any potential recovery from a serious medical condition.

Marijuana trafficked across the United States is up to 25 times more potent than it was in the 1960s, which makes it much more addictive. Drug traffickers in Mexico and Canada flood this country with vast amounts of marijuana, and citizens of this country grow it with little regard for the damage they are causing. The misleading message that young people receive concerning this drug contributes to their decision to use marijuana.

If adults are misconstruing the facts surrounding marijuana use for their own benefit, how can a 10- or 11-year-old make a decision on the harmful effects of marijuana or other drugs? If elected officials openly violate the law by distributing marijuana, as recently occurred in California, how can they possibly have the best interests of their community and its young people at heart?

The insinuation that smoking marijuana has widespread support and can assist people suffering from AIDS, Lou Gehrig's disease and many other terminal illnesses is misleading. While some people openly support the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, it is from a misinformed position.

It does not matter that they are elected political figures; a misguided decision is still a bad one, no matter who makes it. Legalizing marijuana through a political process bypasses the safeguards established by the Food and Drug Administration to safely test all drugs.

Others utilize the medical-marijuana claim as a ploy to legalize marijuana altogether, and then will work toward the legalization of other dangerous drugs as well. They work to misinform, mislead and weaken your resolve. Operators of "compassion marijuana distribution centers" have attempted to legitimize themselves in California, Oregon, Washington and elsewhere for too long.

Misinformation causes confusion for the public seeking to make a rational decision on this issue. Legalizers often cite a 1999 White House-commissioned study by the Institute of Medicine, which they say concluded that marijuana has medical benefits. This is not true. The study concluded that smoking marijuana is not good medicine. It went on to state that although marijuana delivers the active ingredient tetra hydrocannabinol (THC), smoking marijuana also delivers harmful substances, including most of those found in tobacco smoke.

No medicine prescribed today is ever smoked. Marijuana contains over 400 chemicals, and when smoked it easily introduces cancer-causing chemicals to the body. Does this sound like good medicine? Marijuana contains numerous compounds and could never deliver the precise effect sought by a medical doctor assisting a patient.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) supports research into the study of all drugs, including THC. As a result of that research, Marinol was developed, and has been available to the public since 1985. The active ingredient in Marinol is synthetic THC, which battles the nausea and other discomforts associated with chemotherapy in cancer patients, and loss of appetite, often associated with AIDS patients. Marinol is an alternative drug approved by the medical community and the Food and Drug Administration.

We have all witnessed the horrific consequences of drug abuse in our country over many years, and it is appalling. The DEA, and other law-enforcement agencies, take the legal measures necessary to combat drug traffickers, including those who grow and distribute marijuana, and who often hide behind "medical marijuana" claims that have misinformed and confused the public.

Accepting the notion that marijuana is harmless leads young people to experiment with it, and allows legalizers the path they seek to undermine the successful drug-prevention programs that law enforcement, community leaders and schools have engaged in.

You can make a difference. Speak out against the false claims of legalizers and put this issue to rest. Enough is enough, America, and it's time that you stood your ground and said so.