[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 48 (Tuesday, April 16, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E542-E543]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         SIDE WITH DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS, NOT THE DOPE PUSHERS

                                 ______


                        HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 16, 1996

  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, the pro-drug crowd is at it again, Mr. 
Speaker. They never tire of their sneaky attempts at legalizing drugs. 
Their latest endeavor is in, no surprise here--California--where a 
fringe group called Californians for Compassionate Use is lobbying the 
California Legislature to pass two bills which would legalize marijuana 
use for medicinal purposes. Because marijuana has no medicinal value, 
it is fairly obvious that this is nothing but a backdoor attempt to 
legitimize the use of marijuana for all purposes. And that is not just 
my opinion.
  Mr. Speaker, the FDA has repeatedly rejected marijuana for medical 
use because it adversely impacts concentration and memory, the lungs, 
motor coordination and the immune system. A recent evaluation of the 
issue by scientists at NIH concluded, ``after carefully examining the 
existing preclinical and human data, there is no evidence to suggest 
that smoked marijuana might be superior to currently available 
therapies for glaucoma, weight loss associated with AIDS, and nausea 
and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy.''
  Marijuana weakens the human immune system. That is why oncologists 
reject the idea of prescribing smoked marijuana for cancer 
chemotherapy. Experts also oppose the use of marijuana to treat 
glaucoma. As for AIDS patients, it does not facilitate weight gain, 
further weakens the immune system, and puts them at significant risk 
for infections and respiratory problems.
  For these reasons the American Cancer Society, the American Glaucoma 
Society and the American Medical Society all oppose using marijuana for 
medicinal purposes.
  Unfortunately, this seriously misguided effort is not limited to some 
hippies out in California. It has reached the Congress of the United

[[Page E543]]

States. Representative Barney Frank has introduced legislation--H.R. 
2618--that would federalize the right to use marijuana for medical 
purposes. This is dangerous legislation--and I can assure you, Mr. 
Speaker, that I will stop H.R. 2618 dead in its tracks should it 
receive significant support--something I do not anticipate happening.
  I urge my colleagues to focus on what this issue is all about: The 
organizations lobbying for H.R. 2618 are intentionally exploiting the 
pain and suffering of others as part of their backdoor attempt to 
legalize marijuana.

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