HELPING THE SICK SHOULD NOT BE A CRIME

Thank goodness common sense prevailed at the sentencing of three former
directors of the West Hollywood medical marijuana dispensary. The judge who
elected to impose probation, instead of the sentence recommended by
prosecutors, demonstrated a compassion that has been entirely lacking in the
federal government's treatment of medical marijuana patients and their
caregivers.

Prosecuting providers who operate within state laws is a waste of tax funds
and a miscarriage of justice. The federal government may continue to
doggedly ignore the vast body of scientific data indicating that marijuana
can relieve pain, control nausea and stimulate the appetite. But if it
insists on continuing to wage a failed war on some drugs, it should at least
have the decency to clear the sick and dying off the battlefield.

Julie Ruiz-Sierra
Davis