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 anti-e_etic drug, Compazine, and clearly superior to synthetgc THC pills. More
 .... _ than 90% of the patients who received marijuana w_i:h_n the New Mexico program
 reported significant or total relief from nausea and vomiting. Before the
 program began cancer patients were surreptitiously smoking marijuana in New
 _ Mexico to lessen or control their emesis resulting from chemotherapy treatments°
 They reported to physicians that if: was successful for this purpose. Physicians
 were aware that this was golng on.
 :,;.:_ 22_ In Ig-78 i:he Louisiana legislature became one of the first-State
 legislatures in the natlon to recognize the efficacy of marijuana in controlling
 emesis byenacting legislation intended to make marijuana available by prescrip-
 _ tion for therapeutic use by chemotherapy patlents_ This enactment shows that
 there was widespread acceptance in Louls_ana of the therapeutic value of maria
 juana. After a State Marijuana Prescription Review 'Board was established,
 , pursuant to that legislation, it borage apparent th,_t, because of Federal restric-
 tions, marljuana could be obtained legally only for use in cumbersome, formal
 research programs. Eventually a research program was entered into by the State,
 , utilizing synthetic THC, but wlthout mu6h enthusiasm, since mc_t.p_e_fomals-
 who had wanted to use marijuana clinically, to treal: patients, had neither the
 time, resources nor inclination to get involved in l:his llmited, formal study.
 C; The original purpose of the Louisiana legislation was frustrated by the Federal :
 authorities. Some patients,, who had hoped i_.c_b_i._L marijuana for me_'_c_if use"
 legally a_FT._r_enactment of the State le_._atlon, wemt outSf_m"tlle law and
 C1_ obtained it llllcltly. Some physicians in Louisiana accept marijuana as having
 a distlnct medical value in the treatment of the nausea and vomiting associated
 with certain types of chemotherapy treatments.
 .x.