Marijuana can restore their ability to eat. It can improve muscle control for people with multiple sclerosis. An illegal drug can have a legitimate, legal, medical use. We have laws against steroid abuse, but steroids are also properly prescribed by doctors every day. Morphine, an illegal drug made from opium, is a major drug used by doctors in pain control.
People take Valium by prescription, even though it is a crime to have it without a prescription.
Just as the law recognizes that these and many other controlled substances have legitimate medical uses, it is time to recognise this for marijuana. Therefore, I am proposing state legislation that would allow physician-supervised use of marijuana to treat a patient with a serious illness. As with many other controlled substances, it will provide State monitoring of the physician certifications, to prevent abuse. The Health Department will review, analyze and periodically report on the whole process. Both have intoxicating effects.