REMOVE BAN ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

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, H.R. 2592, would do
just that by acknowledging marijuana's medical uses and removing the
federal prohibition against prescribing marijuana to the seriously
ill.

KARL N. DICKEY
Boca Raton