FIGHT TO KEEP MORE CHERYL MILLERS FROM PAIN

Jim Miller is to be applauded for his continued political fight in his
wife's memory. Imagine a 32-year multiple sclerosis sufferer traveling from
her home in the Silverton section of Dover Township to our state capitol in
Trenton and our nation's capitol in Washington, D.C., and no one will
listen to her decade-long pleas for help.

Our elected officials and their appointees, like First Assistant Ocean
County Prosecutor Terrence Farley, have let us all down. In an overzealous
attempt to keep our citizens and their children from marijuana by total
prohibition, we have overlooked the medical possibilities so many of our
ill say helps them. Since when does law enforcement speak for the medical
community? If Farley wants to talk about "taking dope," I suggest he think
about the ravages of toxic substances like OxyContin and the many
synthesized prescription drugs available and deadly. Cheryl's medicine has
never killed anyone and was a valued medicine within past pharmacopoeia.

When the discussion becomes more about medicine and less about law
enforcement political mantra, we may get somewhere positive on this issue
and help those who need us to be more helpful in their situation -- people
like Cheryl Miller. We all let her down by not correcting this injustice in
her lifetime. How many more will suffer?

New Jersey had a medical marijuana bill of some decades ago to form a
medical marijuana advisory panel. Where did it go? The time is long overdue
to create a modern piece of legislation, debate it in the appropriate
legislative forum, and form that advisory panel as prescribed by past
legislation not yet acted upon.

Maybe then the response to citizen requests for medical actions will not be
dealt with by law enforcement in the media and become a decision acted upon
by doctors and medical science. Any new legislative bill in this area
should be named in your honor, Cheryl. Rest in peace.

PETER CHRISTOPHER

Locust