MEASURE 33 WOULD BENEFIT PATIENTS

Although I have never used alcohol, tobacco or marijuana, my work with
persons with HIV or AIDS has convinced me that medical marijuana can
benefit them. Many suffer from pain. Others find that their anti-AIDS
medications cause nausea. This decreases their appetites and leads to
wasting, a common life-threatening condition for immune-compromised
persons. Medical marijuana helps to relieve these debilitating symptoms.

Unfortunately, many HIV-positive persons, who have scraped together
the $50 to buy a medical marijuana card from the state, are then
unable to find a "caregiver" ("grower"). Many patients are too sick to
grow their own marijuana or cannot find a caregiver who can afford to
grow it for them. Currently, caregivers are not allowed to charge for
the considerable costs of growing marijuana, and many are not
financially able to do so. Consequently, some sick persons who could
benefit from using medical marijuana must do without.

Measure 33 would allow growers to charge a reasonable price for
supplying marijuana to legally qualified persons. It would also
establish state-regulated dispensaries that could supply medical
marijuana and also subsidize the costs for low-income persons.

I urge you to vote yes on Ballot Measure 33.

Margo Denison, Corvallis