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Richard Karel Comes to Grinspoon's Defense in Washington Post

MEDIA

April 1993

In a debate in the Washington Post Health Section, Dr. Lester Grinspoon's backing for medical marijuana was challenged by Shalom Kalnicki, who wrote that he had "never seen or heard of a patient who, after failing standard treatment, was better able to tolerate radiation or chemotherapy by using marijuana or THC" (Forum, Lester Grinspoon, Shalom Kalnicki, "Should Doctors Suggest Marijuana To Control Nausea?" Washington Post Health, 2/23/93, p. 14).

Richard Karel reported that there is "a substantial literature, both clinical and anecdotal, affirming the efficacy of inhaled marijuana and, to a lesser extent, oral THC to control the side effects of nausea and vomiting of radiation and/or chemotherapy." (Letters, Richard Karel, "More On Marijuana," Washington Post Health, 3/9/93, p. 4).