Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in America. According to a national survey performed by the Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 95 million Americans over the age of 21 have tried marijuana at least once. In addition to this alarming statistic, of the 7.1 million Americans suffering from illegal drug dependence or abuse, 60 percent abuse marijuana. These facts alone show that our country is currently struggling to control this substance and make it very clear that policies must be initiated that will further restrict access to this drug versus granting permission to obtain the substance.
The FDA which opposes the use of smoked marijuana is the federal agency that certifies what drugs are safe and those that have a medicinal benefit. While I am a supporter of states rights, it is critical that scientific research be conducted to determine what the ramifications are as a result of smoking a potentially dangerous substance. In 2006, the FDA declared that marijuana has a high potential for abuse, and that there is a lack of accepted safety for its use, even under medical supervision. The very idea of ingesting a medicine by smoking it is counterintuitive.
On Dec. 15, the New Jersey Senates Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee favorably reported the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act by a 6-1 vote, with two abstentions. The proposed bill would permit patients, who are diagnosed by a physician as having a debilitating medical condition, to smoke marijuana either by cultivating up to six plants themselves or having it provided by a state-authorized personal caregiver. The legislation would also empower the Department of Health and Senior Services to establish alternative treatment centers to produce and dispense marijuana for medical purposes to those possessing a registry identification card. Currently, 13 other states permit the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
The potential for this legislation to become law is ill-advised public policy. I empathize with the stories described by the bills supporters of the relief that smoking marijuana gives those with debilitating diseases, but I fear that New Jersey would be making a mistake with unforeseen and unintended consequences if we think we can systematically control who will have lawful access to a controlled and dangerous subject. The pitfalls are huge and the opportunity for misuse and abuse are plentiful.
The Senate committee stated that medical research suggested that smoking marijuana may alleviate pain or other symptoms associated with certain medical conditions. Yet, there have been no studies conducted by the United States Food and Drug Administration to substantiate this claim.
Further, the Multiple Sclerosis Societys Information Sourcebook last updated in 2005 advised that based on studies to date, it is the opinion of the National Multiple Sclerosis Societys Medical Advisory Board that there are currently insufficient data to recommend marijuana or its derivatives as a treatment for MS. Long-term use of marijuana may be associated with significant serious side effects.
New Jersey like the other 13 states is in the process of sidestepping the protocol for approving medications. Questions regarding the use and effectiveness of medicine are for the FDA to answer, not special interest groups, not individuals, and not the state Legislature.
I am sensitive to the pain that individuals endure from disease, but that does not make it appropriate to sanction the medical use of marijuana. The implications of this legislation are farreaching, with an increased opportunity for abuse. I am not convinced that a secure system can be put into place that ensures the responsible production, delivery, and monitoring of medical marijuana.
Allowing either the patient or their caregiver to possess six marijuana plants for harvesting, or creating alternative treatment centers to dispense this product should raise a red flag to those concerned with making or executing sound public policy. The average marijuana plant can produce anywhere from 1 to 5 pounds of smokeable materials per year, resulting in a total harvest of anywhere between 6 to 30 pounds of marijuana. Who will oversee its output and ensure that patients do not overmedicate, or that the excess production is not diverted to those who use marijuana for recreational purposes?
The Drug Enforcement Administration lists marijuana as a schedule I drug as classified by the Controlled Substances Act, which defines drugs in this category as being the most restrictive for use due to their high potential for abuse and addictiveness. Products in this category are also found to have no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. It is not surprising that the DEA does not endorse the use of smoked marijuana for medical purposes.
What is troubling about this legislation is the message that it sends to our youth. I have seen firsthand the devastation that drugs and alcohol bring not only to the individual who uses these products, but upon their families and friends as well. We should not be in the position of trying to justify to young people that smoking marijuana under certain circumstances is permissible, but unlawful and harmful under others.
While we are a compassionate society, there must be a balance between alleviating or managing pain, and creating a system that potentially does more harm than good. There are too many unanswered questions regarding this serious public policy issue to justify it becoming law. And once the box is opened it will be difficult to return its contents if things do not work out.
Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini is the representative for the 11th Legislative District.
Source: Atlanticville (NJ)
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