BUSINESS WIRE - 44 Montgomery St, 39th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104; Tel: (415) 986-4422; FAX: (415) 788-5335 - Friday, 1 November 1996.
Dear Editor:
Election Day is a day when all Americans have the right to exercise their freedom of choice. After much reflection they elect the candidates who they believe will run our nation to the best of their ability, and continue to fight for the ethical and moral values which have for centuries kept our nation above all others.
It is not only a day for choosing the best candidate to lead our country but also a day for voting on laws that will better our nation as a whole.
This is why I feel compelled to write this letter, as an American citizen, a retired law enforcement officer with over 25 years of service, and on behalf of my fellow comrades and members of the Association of Former Federal Narcotics Agents (AFFNA) who dedicated their careers defending and upholding our nations drug laws, and especially on behalf of the men and women who have given their lives in the fight in the war against drugs.
I make this plea to the people of California to vote "NO" on election day to Proposition 215. This proposal would give the medical profession the right to prescribe the use of marijuana to patients with medical conditions. Although on the surface this may appear to be "benign" legislation, the long term effects could have serious consequences.
This referendum comes at a time when teenage drug use is on the rise and attitude surveys indicate that many parents and their children have accepted drug use as a normal part of the teenage life experience.
If parents vote to pass "Proposition 215" they will be sending a clear message to their children that marijuana use is an accepted act and that marijuana has a legitimate place in the medical profession. Years of study by medical experts unequivocally conclude that there is no indication that marijuana is effective in treating medical disorders, i.e., people with glaucoma and cancer patients.
NO legitimate medical study has ever recommended the use of marijuana. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has never approved crude marijuana, (which contains more than 425 chemicals converting to thousands when smoked: many of which are toxic and cancer causing) for medicinal or any other legitimate purpose.
In addition, no medicine is administered by smoking. THC, the main active ingredient in crude marijuana, is available as a prescription drug Marinol for the treatment of nausea associated with chemotherapy.
There is no scientific evidence that marijuana prevents the progression of visual loss in glaucoma and smoking marijuana compromises the immune system and puts AIDS patients at significant risk for infections and respiratory problems. Marijuana is harmful to the lungs, heart, immune and reproductive systems, and not one American health organization accepts marijuana as medicine.
These include the American Medical Association, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, American Glaucoma Society, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Cancer Society. In addition, The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the FDA have repeatedly rejected marijuana for medical use because it fails to meet any of the federal criteria for approving drugs for medical use.
With no restrictions or regulations, this initiative encourages cultivation and use of marijuana, allowing any physician, including those in the marijuana lobby, to verbally approve marijuana for any condition.
What has not been made clear to the public is that this initiative will bypass FDA and DEA regulations designed to protect Americans, from those who would leave us to believe that these harmful substances have some legitimate place in our society.
What the American public should know is that the legalizers will not stop at medical use -- and do not care about the impact that freely available drugs will have on our children.
Our children deserve to live a drug-free life, safe from the effects of these addictive substances, and safe from the crimes that drug use breeds. The activists of this referendum are clearly masking their agenda -- the legalization of a harmful drug -- marijuana.
I strongly urge California voters to study this proposition carefully, to see the whole picture and not be fooled by those who say they are interested in helping people who are suffering from medical disorders -- their agenda clearly needs to be exposed for what it is... a first step towards legalization of illicit and harmful drugs.
Sincerely,
William F. Alden (signed) President, Association of Former Federal Narcotics Agents
CONTACT: William Alden, president, Association of Former Federal Narcotics Agents 703/648-9098
Copyright (c) 1996/BUSINESS WIRE. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Permissions Desk, Business Wire, 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036; Tel: (212) 575-8822; FAX: (212) 575-1854.
961101
BW961101
Copyright © 1996 - Business Wire. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Business Wire, Permissions Desk, Business Wire, 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036; Tel: (212) 575-8822; FAX: (212) 575-1854. http://www.businesswire.com.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1996. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1996. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .