A Hazy Contradiction

According to experts at the Marijuana Policy Project:

Every month, four Americans battling serious illnesses receive a metal canister from the U.S. government, containing about 10 ounces of marijuana in pre-rolled cigarettes. The program under which these patients receive government-supplied medical marijuana began on May 10, 1978. Referred to as a Compassionate Investigational New Drug (IND) program, it resulted from a lawsuit filed by glaucoma patient Robert Randall, who successfully showed that his use of marijuana was a medical necessity The program slowly grew, with 34 patients approved to participate by1991 (though less than half actually received federal marijuana). But a flood of new applications from patients battling AIDS -- who found that marijuana boosted their appetite and relieved the nausea often caused by anti-HIV drugs -- threw the administration of George H.W. Bush into a panic. The administration closed the program to new applicants in March 1992, but has continued to supply medical marijuana to the four surviving patients.

This may seem shocking. After all, isn't our government's official position that marijuana is not a medicine but a dangerous, addictive substance that only causes harm?

Exactly. Which means that in the U.S. government's official view, it is poisoning four innocent people -- except, of course, that the patients are doing well and have clearly benefited from marijuana therapy.