Pubdate: Thu, 27 Oct 2005
Source: Portage Daily Register (WI)
Copyright: 2005 Portage Daily Register
Contact: http://portage.scwn.com/forms/letter.html
Website: http://www.wiscnews.com/pdr/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3779
Author: Melissa Koch Tlapa

PATIENTS NEED MEDICAL MARIJUANA, NOT JAIL

On Oct. 11, Rep. Gregg Underheim introduced a medical marijuana bill
to establish a medical necessity defense to medical marijuana related
prosecutions.

Considering that a recent poll conducted by Chamberlain Research
Consultants showed more than 4-1 support for medical marijuana in
Wisconsin, statewide 75.7 percent of Wisconsin residents support Rep.
Underheim's bill, it's about time for something like this to go
through in Wisconsin. The poll even showed broad support among all age
groups and across the political spectrum.

Many of the legal alternatives proposed by opponents of medical
marijuana are too expensive, too addictive and have too many side
effects to be good medicine for all patients.

Chemotherapy patients who are too nauseated to swallow a pill should
not have to fear arrest if they, and their doctors, find that smoking
marijuana is the most effective means of treating their symptoms.
Ultimately, the decision of what medicine is best for an illness
should be left up to the patient and the doctor, not to the government.

Legislators against medical marijuana often have biased opinions about
it and seem unwilling and uninterested in taking the time to become
informed on how medicinally useful and unharmful marijuana actually
is. Unfortunately, they are the ones who have the authority to decide
whether or not it should be prescribed.

Organizations like the Wisconsin Nurses Association and the Wisconsin
Public Health Association support safe, legal access to medical
marijuana. With massive public support, I'm sure hoping that people
suffering from cancer, MS and many other serious illnesses in
Wisconsin will soon get the protection that they deserve.

Melissa Koch Tlapa, Sauk City
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake