OxyContin vs. marijuana

Add comment May 6th, 2008

An AP story about a new version on OxyContin ended with this paragraph:

“OxyContin is a time-release version of the old narcotic oxycodone, designed to be swallowed whole and digested over 12 hours to keep a steady state of the painkiller in the bodies of seriously ill patients. While doctors call it an important option for many patients, abusers rapidly discovered the tablets can produce a heroin-like high if crushed to get the dose all at once.”

So, a pill that can give you a heroin-like high is legal and medical marijuana is not. That doesn’t make sense.

Legalizing medical marijuana in Illinois is not dead yet. Maybe this is the session lawmakers will make it legal. Thousands of patients hope it will be.