LET LAWMAKERS KNOW YOUR OPINION ON MEDICAL CANNABIS

This spring, the Illinois Senate passed SB1381, the Compassionate Use
of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act.

Under this bill, seriously ill patients with a physician's
recommendation would be eligible to obtain a registry identification
card from the Illinois Department of Health entitling the patient or a
designated primary caregiver to cultivate up to six cannabis plants
and possess up to 2 ounces of dried cannabis. Currently, SB1381 is
poised for a House vote in late 2009 or early 2010.

There are a number of compelling reasons to legally sanction the
medical use of cannabis. First and foremost, there is a scientific
consensus on the safety and efficacy of cannabis therapy as a
treatment for a number of debilitating symptoms, including loss of
appetite, nausea, pain, spasticity, wasting and vomiting. Marinol, a
synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol pill, is not an adequate substitute for
cannabis because it lacks the full gamut of therapeutic compounds
found in cannabis and may be absorbed too slowly for patients
suffering from acute symptoms.

The primary criticism of medical cannabis is that smoking it is not a
medically acceptable drug delivery method. The author agrees and
points to vaporizers and edible, oromucosal and topical cannabis
preparations as safe and effective means of therapy without the
noxious byproducts associated with smoking.

Please contact your Illinois state representative to assert your
opinion on SB1381. Do not wait until you or a loved one is seriously
ill to voice your opinion on medical cannabis.

Benjamin David Gross