Medical marijuana’s time comes

By The Gazette Editorial Board

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The vast majority of Iowans think it's just fine to allow doctors to prescribe marijuana for medical use. State legislators and the governor aren't so sure. They want more time to discuss the idea, review more research, before deciding whether to make such use legal in Iowa.

Meanwhile, Iowans with major medical problems including seizures, chronic pain and nausea, epilepsy and other severe conditions for which they have found no relief from legal prescribed treatments are traveling to states offering medical marijuana programs, desperate to find some help.

Many are wounded veterans or kids with debilitating diseases.

This situation needs to be remedied in favor of the patients.

A new poll by Quinnipiac University found that 87 percent of Iowans support legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes. That huge majority includes at least 68 percent of every political party and gender and age group.

A poll's results should not be the sole reason to change the law. Legislators are right to be cautious in how such a law is crafted, implemented and enforced. And as Iowans in this poll also indicated, we aren't about to support legalizing recreational or other personal use of marijuana. The effects of frequent use on brain development in teens and young adults is a real threat.

However, limited, regulated use for targeted medical needs is a different matter. Iowa legislators can look to New Mexico for a model that works in the public's interest. It's well regulated and abuses have been minimal. An Iowa native and physician headed that state's startup program and has testified before our state lawmakers.

Yes, no matter how well regulated, there's potential for abuse - as there already is with legal prescription pain killers that are more dangerous than marijuana, such as hydrocodone, morphine and oxycodone.

That's not a good enough reason to deny patients in crisis supervised access to medical marijuana. Iowa must not drag its feet much longer on this issue.

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