MARIJUANA SHOULD BE PERSONAL HEALTH-CARE CHOICE

It's been 10 years since medical marijuana legislation passed, but
patients have difficulty with access to supply their marijuana.
Difficulty getting marijuana prescriptions by medical-pharmaceutical
interests continues.

Law enforcement target these people, hoping to inflict some legal
damage.

I'm telling you these patients suffer enough. As a registered nurse,
I could tell positive stories of marijuana therapy and persons who
could benefit from medicinal use. It's sad when individuals restrict
their health decisions based on politics, regulation, fear and
public opinion.

If you want to talk about health concerns, let's be concerned with
pharmaceuticals. Have you heard the stories about Thalidomide, Vioxx,
Avandia?

Even Tylenol kills people. Pharmaceutical products and profits are
problems that need control and regulation. But marijuana isn't part
of that picture.

Marijuana doesn't kill people, never has. Studies show there is no
known lethal dose. It's all political fear-mongering at the expense
of public health.

Medical and pharmaceutical interests have control (and money) they
don't want to lose. Does anyone notice the absurd cost of
pharmaceuticals?

Marijuana should be a personal health-care choice, easily accessible,
low cost and even tax-free.

Yes, passing Question 5 will help suffering patients by establishing
a means to medicinal marijuana. It isn't perfect, in fact I don't
like the bigger government part, but it's better than where we are
now.

Please realize that it's not about us. It's about those in pain,
vomiting, having seizures or just wasting away. None of us would
choose to walk in their shoes but we shouldn't overlook their
difficulties. First, let them make their own health-care decisions
and don't treat them like criminals.

It's only criminal that we don't help them. Put some of your heart in
your vote. Please vote "yes" on Question 5.

Dean DeWitt

China Village