SHOW SOME COMPASSION -- CONSIDER MEDICAL MARIJUANA

As a Massachusetts resident and medical professional, I am appalled
at that fact that some of our state legislators still refuse to
consider the bill that would protect seriously ill people who use
medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation from the threat of
prosecution.

As our current law stands, any and all marijuana users are subject
to criminal penalties, even those seriously ill individuals who have
been advised by their doctors to use marijuana. Medical
professionals worldwide continue to recommend marijuana to patients
who suffer from a variety of conditions, including muscle
spasticity and neuropathic pain associated with multiple sclerosis
(MS), and severe nausea and wasting due to chemotherapy treatment.
If these seriously ill individuals can be prescribed morphine,
OxyContin and other powerful, highly addictive narcotics by their
doctors, why not allow them to use relatively safe, all-natural marijuana?

According to the Drug Policy Forum, over 1,300 doctors in
Massachusetts have signed a pledge supporting medical marijuana. In
all seven Massachusetts districts where medical marijuana has
appeared on the ballot, voters have consistently been in favor
of the measure by an average of 69 percent. Despite overwhelming
support from the community, many legislators still oppose the bill.
They continue to hide behind the same old objections, even though
these complaints have been discredited time and again.

They claim, for example, that medical marijuana legislation sends
the wrong message to teens and encourages teen drug use. In fact,
every other state that has had a medical marijuana law in effect
long enough to produce data has seen a decrease in teen marijuana
use since implementing the law. Some claim that the THC pill,
Marinol, is a sufficient substitute for marijuana, but I know
first-hand that cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy can often be
too nauseated to even swallow a pill. In fact, research has shown
that oral administration is the least effective way to administer
THC or the other therapeutic components of marijuana.

The Joint Committee on Public Health considered the bill this week,
and sent it for study. I call on the committee to recognize the
plight of these seriously ill people and reconsider. I also urge all
concerned constituents to contact their senators and representatives
and let them know how important medical marijuana is to
Massachusetts's residents. Prosecuting medical marijuana patients,
besides being cruel and inhumane, wastes taxpayer dollars and
preoccupies law enforcement officials when they could be arresting
violent criminals. Individuals who are seeking relief from the
debilitating symptoms associated with their diseases should not be
branded as criminals. They deserve our compassion and understanding,
and it's time to allow them a wider range of options for relief.