Kevin B. Zeese

In 1996, Arizona and California voters approved propositions that legalized the medical use of marijuana. In the following viewpoint, Kevin B. Zeese asserts that medical marijuana can improve the health of patients with AIDS, cancer, and other illnesses. Zeese contends that marijuana can increase AIDS patients’ appetites and relieve their nausea and vomiting. Lower dosage levels and easier ingestion make smoked marijuana a more ideal medicine than a legalized pill that contains a synthetic marijuana ingredient, he maintains. Zeese is the president of Common Sense for Drug Policy, a Falls Church, Virginia, organization that seeks to inform the public about drug policy.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. For how long has marijuana been used medically, according to Zeese?
2. According to the author, what did state studies in Michigan and...