After the sustaining vote in November of 1996 and coming into effect the beginning of this year,
marijuana is now legal to medical patients in California and Arizona. Proposition 215 reads as follows:
The people of the State of California hereby find and declare that the purposes of the
Compassionate Use Act of 1996 are as follows:
(A) To ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for
medical purposes where that medical use is deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician who
has determined that the person's health would benefit from the use of marijuana in the treatment of
cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine, or any other illness for
which marijuana provides relief.
(B) To ensure that patients and their primary care givers obtain and use marijuana for medical
purposes upon the recommendation of a physician are not subject to criminal prosecution or sanction.
C. To encourage the federal and state governments to implement a plan for the safe and
affordable distribution of marijuana to all patients in medical need of marijuana.
(Proposition 215 Section 11362.5)
Of course, it goes on and breaks into fine detail into which I choose not to venture. To
summarize it all, if you're sick, or think you are, your doc can get you some pot. Just like that.
So what's so great about this? It supposedly brings relief to those with terminal illnesses.
(Such were listed in 215) Cancer sufferers who are inflicted with nausea due to chemotherapy have
reported that a puff or two of a marijuana cigarette relieves the pain. (Theorized after study by
psychiatrist Lester Grinspoon of Harvard Medical School) It has also been reported to relieve the pain
suffered by AIDS patients. Despite all this great relief, one question remains unanswered, what about
the side effects? Exactly how harmful and addicting is this stuff?
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