This whole medical marijuana debate in New Jersey is confusing to me. I just don't get how any policy maker in Trenton, or any state capital, would stand in the way of people who are suffering chronic pain doing anything medically necessary to reduce that pain and improve the quality of their lives. Recently, a bill to allow for the legal use of marijuana--The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act--passed the Senate Committee and is moving to the Senate floor for a vote.To date, 13 states have adopted a similar law and there is no reason why New Jersey shouldn't be the 14th to do so. If the law is passed as it is currently written, anyone who wanted to get access to legal marijuana for medicinal purposes must have a physician clearly document the need for such use. Stringent safeguards are in place including patients being required to carry a state identification card verifying their enrollment, as well as patients and their primary caretakers must not have a history of drug convictions. There is little evidence that in the 13 states where marijuana has been legalized for medicinal purposes that abuse of the drug is occurring.

Further, countless medical and clinical professionals have argued that marijuana can be extremely helpful to patients, particularly those suffering from such debilitating medical conditions such as MS, cancer, diabetes, glaucoma, HIV and AIDS.

Opponents will argue that legalizing marijuana for medical use may send the wrong message about drug use. Yet, according to Bruce Mirken, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project; "Twelve states have had medical marijuana laws in place long enough to have data on teen marijuana use from both before and after their medical marijuana laws took effect, and in every single one, teen marijuana use has gone down, not up."

The federal government, through the Bush Administration, has further complicated things by saying that only the feds can allow for the legal use of marijuana for medical purposes. That is a crock.

When it suits them, the Bush Administration says that the states should decide on certain controversial policies like stem cell research. However, when they pick and choose on issues like this, they only create more confusion and chaos. Further, the fact that the Bush Administration has prosecuted people in California who were legally distributing marijuana in accordance to state law just makes things worse.

One wonders, with all the problems facing the White House, why it would be such a high priority to go after medical professionals who are only looking to help their suffering patients who are simply looking for some relief.

As for others who argue that smoking marijuana could potentially increase the risk of respiratory problems, closer examination of this argument is needed. How could the feds or any other serious government official involved in health care talk about marijuana creating respiratory problems when there has never been a serious discussion about banning the sale and use of cigarettes--a known carcinogen which also wreaks havoc on others through second hand smoke.

And just consider that in Atlantic City, after the effort to ban smoking in casinos was approved, the policy was later undone because there were concerns that such a ban would hurt casino revenues. So let me get this straight, we will allow for cancer causing cigarettes in casinos because it makes some casino moguls a few bucks, but we won't allow for people suffering chronic diseases to get just a little relief through a highly regulated and controlled program to allow for the medicinal use of marijuana. Talk about having your priorities out of whack.

The time is now. Pass this law. Help those suffering to reduce their pain. Anyone who stands in the way of it should come up with a much better argument than those that have been raised so far. If not, opposition to the medical distribution of marijuana is nothing more than mean spirited and hypocrisy. What do you think? Write to me at sadubato@aol.com