MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Doctors Should Be The Ones To Decide

I believe that doctors and patients should make the decisions that will
affect the patients' quality and length of life, not politicians. The
American people have stood up for this idea by passing medical marijuana
initiatives in eight states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine,
Washington, Oregon and Nevada.

For patients who face cancer chemotherapy or daily AIDS-related drug
cocktails, smoked marijuana can help ease pain and nausea and increase the
appetite, making it possible for some who would otherwise drop out of
treatment to continue. However, the federal government has threatened to
arrest doctors and patients over medical marijuana, making this potentially
life-saving therapy available only to those who are willing to risk being
arrested and put in jail.

It is time the federal government allowed doctors and patients to make the
important decisions about treatment with medical marijuana. A bill
introduced in the U.S. House by Rep. Barney Frank, HR 2592, would do just
that by acknowledging marijuana's medical uses and removing the federal
prohibition against prescribing marijuana to the seriously ill.

I implore people who love freedom to contact their members of Congress to
sign on to the bill.

DARRAL GOOD

Lynnwood