FOR PATIENTS' SAKE, SUPPORT MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW

It's disappointing that Gov. Pawlenty repeatedly threatened to veto
the medical marijuana bill. Because he was afraid to do the right
thing, hundreds of sick and dying Minnesota patients must live in fear
of arrest and jail for another year.

Gov. Pawlenty and our lawmakers should have listened to President Bush
in the State of the Union address, when the president said, "In all we
do, we must remember that the best health-care decisions are made not
by government and insurance companies, but by patients and their
doctors." I can't think of a more important health-care decision than
deciding which medical treatment is best for a patient.

It's time that our lawmakers and governor put an end to the cruel,
despicable policy of arresting and incarcerating medical marijuana
patients.

It was inspiring to see a medical marijuana bill finally pass one
chamber and reach the floor of another chamber. This compassionate
legislation deserved quick passage, but unfortunately it languished,
leaving people with cancer and other serious illnesses vulnerable to
arrest and imprisonment.

The medical marijuana bills will protect seriously ill patients from
being thrown in jail for using medical marijuana with their doctors'
advice.

Gov. Pawlenty should be ashamed of himself for threatening to veto the
compassionate medical marijuana legislation. He claimed he was doing
this because of law-enforcement concerns. Why does the governor side
with law enforcement in wanting to keep the right to lock up cancer
and AIDS patients?

I encourage everyone to take a moment to contact Gov. Pawlenty's
office and urge him not to veto the medical marijuana bill next
session. You can reach him by e-mailing tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us, or
by calling (651) 296-3391.

Brad Eilers

Hector