WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MEDICINE

Joseph A. Califano Jr.'s essay "Marijuana: It's a Hard Drug" [oped, Sept.
30] begins with a caution to voters who will consider referendums on
medicinal use of the drug.

From this beginning I expected a novel argument why voters should or should
not decide this issue. Instead I was disappointed to see the former health,
education and welfare secretary devote the great bulk of his article to
statistics about marijuana as a "gateway" to other drugs and a cause of
crime and promiscuous sex.

This approach is anything but novel and a manipulative way to confuse the
issue underlying such referendums: whether doctors should be able to
prescribe marijuana, in whatever form, to patients without fear of criminal
prosecution.

I have discussed this issue with several doctors, and I believe none of
them would dispute Califano's conclusions about marijuana's bad health
effects, addictive qualities or negative social consequences, particularly
on teenagers.

But most doctors look at the issue from a different perspective and do not
confuse arguments for regulation of legitimate medical use with arguments
on addiction, crime and sex.

Many doctors have found that marijuana (legally prescribed in many states
in pill form) alleviates many symptoms of cancer, AIDS, severe head trauma
and other serious conditions more effectively, and with fewer troublesome
side effects, than any other available medications. Unfortunately, some
patients have difficulty regulating the dosage; one pill may be too strong
on some days and not strong enough on others. For these patients, the main
advantage of marijuana in smoke form is the enhanced ability to control the
dosage as dictated by the severity of the symptoms.

Many doctors recognize this benefit, but they cannot facilitate or even
encourage the "smoke alternative" without facing possible criminal
prosecution or revocation of their license.

A carefully crafted referendum can give doctors the assurance they need
without contributing to any of the problems described by Califano.

Michael Vallely