CONSIDER MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR IOWA

As a nursing student at Clinton Community College, California's fight for
medicinal marijuana use has really grabbed my attention. I felt it
necessary to look into this issue.

During my research I found patient testimony stating over and over again
that marijuana has had a better therapeutic effect on alleviating their
symptoms as opposed to medications previously taken. Marijuana has been
used to alleviate the severe nausea associated with chemotherapy for cancer
patients; it relieves pressure in the eye for glaucoma suffers; for AIDS
patients it relieves pain, nausea and helps with wasting syndrome; for
epileptics its helps control muscle spasms; marijuana has also been used to
treat stress-related disorders. In the past, marijuana has been used when
all else failed and I believe it should be used when cost is an issue as well.

The cost of allowing patients to use or grow marijuana will have a profound
impact on reducing medical costs.

I believe that Iowans should join California in the fight to legalize
medicinal marijuana for the severely sick and urge legislators by writing
letters of support in time for the next session.

Mary Evans

Clinton