LEGISLATORS SHOULD LISTEN TO VOTERS

Regarding your Feb. 13 editorial, Montana legislators are poised to
defy the will of Montana voters and repeal the state's
compassionate-use medical marijuana law. Apparently the big government
knows best mindset is alive and well in Montana.

While there have been studies showing that marijuana can shrink
cancerous tumors, medical marijuana is essentially a palliative drug.
If a doctor recommends marijuana to a patient undergoing chemotherapy
and it helps them feel better, then it's working.

In the end, medical marijuana is a quality of life decision best left
to patients and doctors.

Drug warriors waging war on non-corporate drugs contend that organic
marijuana is not an effective health intervention. Their prescribed
intervention for medical marijuana patients is handcuffs, jail cells
and criminal records.

This heavy-handed approach suggests that drug warriors should not be
dictating healthcare decisions. Montana legislators should respect
voters and continue to let doctors decide what is right for their
patients; sick patients should not be jailed for daring to seek relief
from marijuana.

Robert Sharpe

Arlington, Va.

(Robert Sharpe is a policy analyst with the organization Common Sense
for Drug Policy, which advocates, among other things, the regulation
and control of marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol.)