1. Modern medicine does not condone smoking medications or potions. We follow a process through the FDA to assure that medications are safe and effective. Marijuana has never passed the safety and efficacy tests by the FDA and thus jeopardizes consumer protection. The FDA opposes medical excuse marijuana and. Medicine by popular vote is a dangerous precedent. Some treatments are thought to be useful but turn out to be ineffective or dangerous when submitted to rigorous scientific study.

2. Crude marijuana in any form does not constitute a medicine. The medical excuse is a fallacy propagated by the pro-marijuana lobby to ultimately legalize marijuana.

3. In states that have tried to have highly regulated restrictive statues allowing smoked marijuana for terminal or extremely ill patients, and the marijuana lobby liberalizes the rules later.

4. Few legitimate medical groups are supportive of the availability of crude marijuana as a medicine even though they may support research on individual cannabinoids.

…Excerpted from MEDICAL EXCUSE MARIJUANA SUMMARY POINTS,
ERIC A. VOTH M.D., FACP Chairman- The Institute on Global Drug Policy

Aside from the medicinal fallacies, there is not a separate category of marijuana that is grown for medicinal purposes. Marijuana is not grown in a clean laboratory environment by scientists or pharmacists. In California illegal marijuana grows have proliferated across our State, all in terribly toxic conditions wreaking havoc on public and private lands costing millions of dollars to clean up when and if clean up is possible. During the growing and harvesting season marijuana farms are hidden away, guarded by well armed drug cartel willingly and aggressively protecting their illicit crop with a stash of weapons and traps from intruders and law enforcement alike.

After much research, Marijuana has not not been deemed a federally approved Medicine, there are no FDA requirements to help regulate the potency and effectiveness. There is no prescription that can be written. In California’s Prop 215, as well as our SB420 the ability for a doctor to “recommend” marijuana has become a lucrative business for a handful of entrepreneurial physicians, most of whom have come under the scrutiny of the California Medical Board as well as law enforcement. Some have been prosecuted because a doctor - patient relationship does not exist, merely an ongoing exchange of money for a coveted recommendation.

This recommendation process is very similar to the “Written Certification” outlined in SB119. Would it not be more compassionate to ensure that proper medical care and FDA approved medication is available for the sick and dying patients whom have falsely been promised relief. Perhaps a bottle of Merlot might deliver relief from pain for a while. Shall we enact a law establishing Medical Merlot, wine as medicinal and compassionate?

Aside from the lack of regulations in obtaining marijuana, there is not a careful delivery system – having a patient inhale burning plant matter as a medicine is irresponsible, harmful and can adversely affect the benefits of prescribed medications.

Finally, there is the very difficult addiction issue now plaguing 4 per cent of the world’s adult population, approximately 162 million people. True compassion should be to help the sick and dying, and offer treatment so that addicts can live lives free of addiction. It is incumbent upon any legislator to ensure sound laws are enacted protecting all citizens and not pave the way for further decline in society through the many ruses of the Drug Policy Alliance.

When someone smokes marijuana, THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to organs throughout the body, including the brain, heart and lung;

• In the brain, THC connects to cannabinoid receptors, some of which influence memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement4.

• The short-term effects of marijuana can include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate.

• A study of 450 people found that those who smoke marijuana often but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than nonsmokers. Many of the extra sick days among marijuana smokers In the study were for respiratory illnesses.

• Depression17, anxiety17, and personality disturbances18 have been associated with chronic marijuana use. Because marijuana compromises the ability to learn and remember information, the more a person uses marijuana the more he or she is likely to fall behind in accumulating intellectual, job, or social skills. Moreover, research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on memory and learning can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off19,20,25.

• Students who smoke marijuana get lower grades and are less likely to graduate from high school, compared with their nonsmoking peers21,22,23,24.

• A study of 129 college students found that, among those who smoked the drug at least 27 of the 30 days before being surveyed, critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning were significantly impaired, even after the students had not taken the drug for at least 24 hours20. These “heavy” marijuana abusers had more trouble sustaining and shifting their attention and in registering, organizing, and using information than did the study participants who had abused marijuana no more than 3 of the previous 30 days.

• Therefore someone smoking marijuana every day could be functioning at a reduced intellectual level all the time.

• Workers who smoke marijuana are more likely than their coworkers to have problems on the job. Several studies associate workers’ marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers’ compensation claims, and job turnover. A study among postal workers found that employees who tested positive for marijuana on a pre-employment urine drug test had 55% more industrial accidents, 85% more injuries, and a 75% increase in absenteeism compared with those who tested negative for marijuana use26. In another study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement including cognitive abilities, career status, social life, and physical and mental health27.

• Research has shown that some babies born to women who abused marijuana during their pregnancies display altered responses to visual stimuli28, increased tremulousness, and a high-pitched cry, which might indicate neurological problems in development29. During the preschool years, marijuana-exposed children performed tasks involving sustained attention and memory more poorly than non exposed children do30,31. In the school years, these children are more likely to exhibit deficits in problem-solving skills, memory, and the ability to remain attentive30.

• Long-term marijuana abuse can lead to addiction for some people; leading to interference with family, school, work, and recreational activities. Long term users attempting to quit have also display increased aggression on psychological tests, peaking approximately one week after the last use of the drug33.

37 research references are available from the National Institute on Drug Abuse