Marijuana must meet FDA standards to be prescribed medically

I agree with the editorial [“Marijuana reclassification long overdue,” Opinion, Dec. 5] that Gov. Chris Gregoire’s petition to the Drug Enforcement Administration to change the classification of marijuana to a Schedule II drug is an intriguing idea, but I think your support is premature.

If marijuana is to become a medication prescribed by doctors and dispensed in licensed pharmacies, it needs to go through the same FDA process that any new drug goes through, and the FDA needs to be absolutely convinced that it is effective for certain conditions. I was surprised at the number of medical journal articles looking at its efficacy (2000-plus), but how many of these are scientifically sound and show a clear benefit?

Having marijuana dispensed by pharmacists, under a doctor’s prescription, would be far preferable to the current system in our state, with the fly-by-night dispensaries and their abuses. However, there is no guarantee that this would avoid problems . . . opiates are available at pharmacies, yet there is widespread abuse of these legal drugs.

— Bob Knudson, M.D., Seattle