Pubdate: Sat, 02 Aug 2003
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)
Copyright: 2003 Santa Cruz Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/394
Author: Douglas Perry
Bookmark http://www.mapinc.org/topics/WAMM  (WAMM)

STOP WAMM SHAM

I am really getting tired of the so-called compassion of the Women's 
alliance for Medical Marijuana. In the media, WAMM claims to have 
compassion for terminally ill patients. This is a bogus claim.

It is important to point out a few things: 1) medical marijuana is not a 
gender issue; 2) medical marijuana is not a sexual-preference issue. 
According to Prop. 215, medical marijuana was passed in California for 
terminally ill patients.

If you check out WAMM's website. They claim that 80 percent of their 
members are terminally ill. I challenge that statement. I have personal 
knowledge of no less than four patients with AIDS who were deemed not 
suitable to be members of WAMM. Where is the compassion for them and their 
suffering?

Meanwhile, at least half of WAMM's members are not terminally ill, and a 
majority of the members have bogus doctor's recommendations. Menstrual 
cramps and weight loss are not terminal illnesses.

if you were to follow the amount of pot distributed to WAMM members, and 
their caregivers, you would find that a very small percent of the medicine 
is going to actual terminally ill people.

WAMM needs to stop the sham. if they claim to have compassion for 
terminally ill people, the community should hold WAMM accountable for our 
support. How can WAMM have compassion, yet now allow membership to those it 
claims to be helping, meanwhile helping those with questionable medical issues.

I'd like to know WAMM's priorities. Shouldn't the terminally ill patients 
be allowed membership first, especially if WAMM wants the community's support?

Make WAMM stop the sham. They are hurting those people who legitimately 
benefit from the use of medical marijuana, and they are jeopardizing the 
integrity of Prop. 215 and medical marijuana in general.

It is time to stop this abuse.

Douglas Perry

Scotts Valley
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