MARIJUANA ABUSE NO REASON TO REPEAL A HELPFUL LAW

I am writing this letter regarding the medical marijuana repeal ads I
have seen lately.

What they are referring to is the illegal use of marijuana and that
has nothing to do with medical marijuana. It is completely
unreasonable to deprive a patient that is battling with an illness
such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or any other disease that
requires pain management just because someone, somewhere is abusing
that particular medication.

Yes, it is very unfortunate that some kids take medications illegally
for recreation.

Some of those are over-the-counter medications such as cough syrup.
But the vast majority are prescription painkillers written to friends
and family for legitimate medical conditions.

National studies show that today's teens are more likely to have
abused a prescription painkiller than any illicit drug. The answer is
not to penalize the patient that has found a certain medication
effective, but to educate our kids about the dangers and consequences
of the illegal use of drugs.

Dawn Hall

Butte