MARIJUANA BANNED DESPITE MEDICAL RECOMMENDATION

It amazes me that an opponent of medical marijuana even exists. Marijuana
has been documented as an effective medicine for centuries. It was banned
against the recommendation of the American Medical Association and 35
states have since passed legislation recognizing its medicinal value,
regardless of the federal government's stranglehold on research of the same.

Reports from the 15th century, talk about the use of cannabis to ease the
symptoms of epilepsy. Modern reports show it may even prevent seizures.
It's not even American to tell the sick that studies show it's beneficial
to their ailments, but they can't have it; and if they try to help
themselves to feel better, we will take their freedom and maybe even their
finances, homes or automobiles.

The risks of legalizing marijuana for patients and research do not balance
with the daily deaths of those suffering from epilepsy and other serious
illnesses that marijuana has been proven to benefit.

Oddly enough, the first American study into the medicinal benefits of
marijuana was conducted by the Ohio Medical Society. There is no reason
Ohio should not be doing its own continued research, and law-abiding
Americans who are sick shouldn't be forced to break the law to get a
treatment that has been proven beneficial to their ailments.

Sandy Cote,

Toledo