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Elizabeth A. Lowenthal, DO
Birmingham, Ala

JAMA. 1995;274(23):1837.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.

—As an oncologist I am continually astounded by government policy surrounding the medicinal use of marijuana. The recent Commentary by Dr Grinspoon and Mr Bakalar¹ stated the problem with eloquence and sensitivity. In addition, I would point out that in contrast to marijuana, cigarette tobacco has no proven medicinal effect whatsoever, is as addictive as cocaine and heroin,² is subsidized with tax dollars, and costs the United States an estimated $100 billion in health care expenditures and lost productivity.³

It is ironic to inform cancer patients that they cannot partake of marijuana to relieve their metastatic lung cancer— associated anorexia and cachexia acquired from years of partaking in "the only consumer product sold legally in the United States that is unequivocally carcinogenic when used as directed."³ In addition, with the cost of other effective appetite stimulants and antiemetics in excess of $200 per . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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