by David Taylor and Jeanette McDougal

Most Minnesota government officials want the best possible health and safety measures for their fellow citizens. Legalizing as medicine marijuana cigarettes not approved by the Food and Drug Administration or Minnesota Health Department is not such a measure.

What is called "medical marijuana" is a toxic, tar-laden weed used in various forms (cigarettes, bowls, bongs and brownies). Users generally are seeking the "high-producing" chemical, tetrahydrocannabinol — THC — one of the 66 bio-active chemicals (cannabinoids) found only in marijuana. THC pills have been available by medical prescription for at least 20 years. Do we really need a THC cigarette when a THC pill is legally and medically available?

Smoking a weed for medicine is the pharmacological equivalent of eating moldy bread for penicillin or eating poppy seeds for morphine. All contain contaminants, and none in their raw form is approved for safety and efficacy by the FDA.

Physicians worldwide — in the United States, England, Holland, and especially Canada — are concerned about their liability, should harm result to their patients.

There already has been "medical marijuana" fallout in this country. Several homeowners' insurance companies in California have paid claims for marijuana plant theft. A user sued Delta Airlines for not being able to smoke at the airport or take his pot on the plane. The California Supreme Court has ruled that employers may fire workers for using physician-recommended marijuana.

Legislation legalizing medical marijuana would bypass the eight factors passed by Congress in 1970 that must be considered by the FDA and the Drug Enforcement Agency when scheduling a controlled substance.

There is a growing body of scientific evidence, including a 2005 study done in The Netherlands, that shows the use of marijuana leads to increased psychotic symptoms. Numerous studies have linked marijuana use to early-onset schizophrenia.

Does the state of Minnesota have a process for approving medicine? If not, might the state (or its doctors) be held liable for harms caused to citizens by non-medically approved, toxic, tar-laden marijuana cigarettes? Who would pay damages to citizens after toxic marijuana cigarettes made some of them sick? Who would pay treatment and/or mental health costs for those who become addicted? Develop psychosis?

Would school students be able to smoke their medical pot on school grounds? In California, some have.

Is smoking medical marijuana cigarettes covered under the Minnesota Clean Air Act? If so, what are the provisions?

How would children and others be protected from secondhand marijuana smoke?

Would users be able to drive vehicles after smoking?

Does the state of Minnesota have the necessary law enforcement resources to patrol medical marijuana grows and dispensaries?

The known and potential hazards are too great. Minnesota citizens want safe and effective medicines, and they look to their public officials to protect them from harmful snake oil remedies.

David Taylor of Duluth is a social worker for the school district and served as a chemical health specialist for 20 years in Douglas County and the Duluth Public Schools. He's associated with Drug Watch International and Drug Watch Minnesota and has researched and lectured extensively on "The Truth About Marijuana.

Jeanette McDougal of Osceola, Ark., is a retired violence and drug abuse prevention teacher in St. Paul Public Schools, chairwoman of the Hemp Committee of Drug Watch International, and former Co-Chair of Drug Watch Minnesota. She helped draft the Minnesota Vulnerable Adults Protection Act in 1980 and was recipient of the Minnesota Professional Journalists Freedom Of Information Award in 1982 for work to keep public records public.