Pubdate: Tue, 19 Jun 2011 Source: Asbury Park Press (NJ) Copyright: 2011 Asbury Park Press Contact: http://www.app.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/26 Author: Robert Sharpe GOV. CHRISTIE'S DELAYS OF MARIJUANA LAW SHAMEFUL Gov. Chris Christie's continued obstruction of New Jersey's medical marijuana law is shameful. While there have been studies showing that marijuana can shrink cancerous tumors, medical marijuana is essentially a palliative drug. If a doctor recommends marijuana to a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy and it helps them feel better, then it's working. In the end, medical marijuana is a quality-of-life decision best left to patients and their doctors. Drug warriors waging war on noncorporate drugs contend that organic marijuana is not an effective health intervention. Their prescribed intervention for medical marijuana patients is handcuffs, jail cells and criminal records. This heavy-handed approach suggests that drug warriors should not be dictating health care decisions. It's long past time to let doctors decide what is right for their patients; sick patients should not be jailed for daring to seek relief from marijuana. Robert Sharpe Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy WASHINGTON, D.C. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt