VETERAN HOPES FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW

I am a disabled Vietnam War veteran. I saw your notice about the
Sunday Forum on medical marijuana and I want to tell you about my experience.

I have been suffering for years from many illnesses, including PTSD
(post traumatic stress disorder), chronic headaches, chronic body
pains, severe arthritis, and hand and leg cramps that affect my
ability to drive. I have trouble sleeping and I wake up three or
four times a night.

Doctors gave me prescriptions for more than a dozen medicines that I
have to take several times a day, and they are all affecting my
daily functions. Sometimes the medicine is worse than my sickness --
the medicine that is supposed to help me hurts me instead. Sometimes
just so I can make it through the day, I can only take the
medications at bedtime. When I am taking my medicine, it really
affects my family relations.

Some people were talking and saying that marijuana can help people
with sicknesses like me. I know it's illegal but in my past
experience it works better than all of my pills. The marijuana keeps
me at ease and relieves all of my pains at the same time.

I don't know why the veterans and the people who are sick cannot
have this medicine. Instead of so much pills so many times every
day, just twice a day of marijuana, in the morning and at night, and I'm OK.

I hope that this passes so that the sick people can get the help
they need. For those who are not sick, they don't need to take this.
But for those like me who need it, please pass this law.

Luis Villagomez

Luis Villagomez is a resident of Baza Gardens.