Mary-J in N-J

By Ryan Kosyla

Lame-duck governor Jon Corzine of New Jersey is expected to sign the “New Jersey Compassionate Use of Medical Marijuana Act,” which would make it the 14 th state to legalize medical marijuana. It was passed by large majorities in both the state assembly and state senate.

We all have our opinions about whether marijuana should be legalized or not, but his article is not about marijuana legalization. It is about medical marijuana legalization, an entirely separate issue. And it comes down to this: I cannot for the life of me understand why in the world medical use of cannabis is prohibited. I’ll begin with a personal story and sum in up in a few generalized arguments.

When I was younger, my Dad often took me to see John Barker, a lifelong friend of his. I didn’t know much about him, other than the fact that he was in a wheelchair, had trouble speaking, and couldn’t lift his legs (my Dad would often have to pick them up and put them in place). Mr. Barker, or “Johnny,” as we called him, had ALS, also known as Lou Gherig’s disease.

According to the ALS association, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease attacking nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to weakness, loss of motor functioning, and paralysis. It is a virtual death sentence within three to five years of diagnosis. There is no known cure.

Mr. Barker tried to acquire medical marijuana. Other medications were not effective to help his frail, dystrophic body and often caused other extremely unpleasant side effects, to say the least. He was dying; he knew it, I knew it, everyone knew it. Doctors did not give him long to live. To no ones surprise, he soon died – peacefully, if you could say that, in his sleep.

I find myself unconvinced of any arguments against medical marijuana. Yes, there should be restrictions, just like there are with Valium, Percocet, and Oxycotin. Yes, the details of the bill should be tailored to ensure we don’t create another California. But those are minor things, when we need to be concentrating on the major thing: life and death.

I don’t buy any anti-medical marijuana arguments. Really – think about it for a second. Who am I to tell a terminally ill patient they can’t get high? Why in the world does it even matter to outsiders, when it has nothing to do with them? If there are over-the-counter drugs like Advil that can kill you with an overdose, why do we not allow for the responsible use of a drug on which it is impossible to OD? If we prescribe painkillers that are just as strong as, if not stronger than, pot, and with far worse side affects, why can’t someone who could benefit from smoking a joint or eating space cakes go ahead and do it?

This is a debate that makes sense to any common person. This is about being compassionate for others who are about to die, who seek relief for only a short time when they usually suffer and await their death. So let’s just cut the crap and get to it. Medical marijuana is not any worse, and I would argue is far better than, most the medications we give the ill without any second thought.

When it comes to medical marijuana, there is simply no reason not to allow it. And there are a million reasons to legalize it.