Sender: To: X-Original-Message-ID: <1aeb01bf4a98$e4626000$9acf69cf@pacbell.net> From: "Peter McWilliams" Subject: Wow! Part II Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1999 19:18:31 -0800 X-Mozilla-Status: 8001 X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 Newshawk: Frank S. World Pubdate: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 Source: Capital Times, The (WI) Copyright: 1999 The Capital Times Contact: tctvoice@madison.com Website: http://www.thecapitaltimes.com/ Fax: 608-252-6445 Author: Dr. Michael Wayda SERIOUSLY ILL PEOPLE WHO NEED TO USE MEDICAL MARIJUANA HAVE ONCE AGAIN BEEN BETRAYED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. On December 1, the Clinton Administration implemented its new medicinal marijuana research guidelines which are still far too cumbersome. The guidelines also explicitly reject the Institute of Medicine's recent recommendation to open a federal compassionate use program to give individual patients immediate access to medical marijuana. The administration claims that there is no longer a need to change state laws because the federal research and approval process is wide open for medical marijuana. That's not true. The only hope now for protecting medical marijuana users from the threat of prison is to remove criminal penalties in the states. A statement criticizing the new guidelines was signed by Susan Sarandon, Richard Pryor, scientist Stephen Jay Gould, Ph.D., former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, best-selling natural health author Andrew Weil, M.D., _National Review_ senior editor Richard Brookhiser, AIDS Action Council, New York State Nurses Association, National Black Police Association, Reagan administration official Lyn Nofziger, and hundreds of other patients, doctors, medical organizations, celebrities, and concerned citizens.