HOPE TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENTS

Kudos to the Vermont State Senators who voted with courage and compassion
for a medicinal marijuana bill, "Medical pot bill advances in Senate"
(March 12). Health and Welfare Committee Chairman Sen. James Leddy and the
21 other senators who joined him in voting for the bill are a rare breed,
and deserve commendation.

If lawmakers in the House demonstrate their own integrity and pass the bill
and send it on to Gov. Douglas, it will send a strong signal that people
count more than politics. There is no longer any doubt as to whether
cannabis is medicine. The only thing lacking is lawmakers willing to
acknowledge the 80 percent support this issue enjoys nationwide and by
passing this bill, Vermont legislators are giving hope to medical marijuana
patients and supporters across the nation that our own lawmakers will show
the same courage.

Out here in Wisconsin we're praying that Vermont legislators and Gov.
Douglas move quickly to get this law on the books so patients can
concentrate on their health and not whether they might end up in jail for
trying to regain a little quality of life.

Gary Storck

Madison, Wis.