Action Alert:

Senate Committee to hear "Medical" Marijuana bill Wednesday.

Send an e-mail now and tell the committee to vote against the legalization of marijuana for "medical" purposes.

CLICK HERE to send a message to every member of the Health, Housing and Family Security Committee.

Talking Points to include in your email:

THC, the active ingredient in marijuana is available in other controlled forms.

• Orally and via aerosols

Smoked marijuana as medicine has been rejected by:

• American Medical Association
• National Multiple Sclerosis Society
• American Glaucoma Society
• American Academy of Ophthalmology
• American Cancer Society.

The Food and Drug Administration does not support “medical” marijuana

• Currently, no accepted medical use in US
• Lacks safety standards under medical supervision
• Sound evidence for abuse and harm

Bill allows user to posses huge amounts of marijuana

• 12 plants will yield 12 to 60 lbs. Per year
• 5,448 to 27,240 joints

No safety standards for administration or use.  How will the patient determine…?

• Potency
• Side effects
• Dosage
• Interactions with other medications
• Frequency
• Refills

Bill increases physicians malpractice liability

• Malpractice insurance companies excluding non-FDA approved medication

Bill will prevent enforcement of state DUI Laws

• User shall not be considered to be under the influence solely for having marijuana metabolites in patients system

Additional Information:

The key provisions of the bill lack a scientific basis.

Section 2 Sub Div. 4 of the bill lists the following conditions that "medical" marijuana could be used for: cancer, glaucoma, AIDs, hepatitis C, cachexia, wasting syndrome, severe or chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, severe and persistent muscle spasm, Crohn’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, HIV.

There is no scientific research regarding marijuana and its effectiveness, risks, benefits, dosages, interactions with other drugs, and impact on pre-existing conditions for all the above conditions.  Studies on marijuana do not exist that show the quantity of dose, frequency of administration, duration of administration, time of administration, in relation to time of meals, time of onset of symptoms, or other time factors, route or method of administration of marijuana for all the medical conditions in the bill.  These studies are a requirement before a drug can be used for medicine.

Source: Drug Free Schools Coalition

February 13, 2007

Please forward this e-mail to friends and neighbors
To unsubscribe from our e-mail alerts, please return this message with the word "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject line.
Note: Please allow up to two weeks for the changes to take effect

Minnesota Family Council, 2855 Anthony Lane S, Suite 150,Minneapolis, MN 55418
1-612-789-8811  www.mfc.org