Pubdate: Fri, 25 Feb 2005
Source: Brownsville Herald, The (TX)
Copyright: 2005 The Brownsville Herald
Contact: http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/contact.php
Website: http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1402
Author: Julian Ward

SUPPORT PROPOSAL FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Editor:

I urge all Texans to support HB 658, a medical marijuana bill by Democratic 
Rep. Elliott Naishtat and joint authored by Republican Chairman Terry Keel. 
This bill will protect doctors from being investigated solely on the 
grounds that they discussed marijuana as a treatment option with their 
patients.

This bill would also enable Texas jurors to hear evidence and determine 
whether or not the individual has a valid medical defense. Currently Texas 
law does not allow jurors to grant an affirmative defense related to the 
medical use of marijuana. Polls locally and nationally show that our 
citizens support legalizing marijuana for medical use.

For thousands of years mankind has used medical marijuana to treat illness. 
Doctors and healers used medical marijuana to treat their patients with 
this safe and effective drug. When medical marijuana was made illegal, 
doctors weren't even invited to give their advice on its uses.

How can we allow doctors to give their patients morphine, but not the 
nontoxic drug marijuana? Marijuana helps relieve the pain and symptoms of 
diseases from cancer to AIDS and hundreds of other illnesses.

Shall we continue to prosecute doctors and patients for seeking a drug that 
will relieve their suffering?

Other states have legalized medical marijuana. Isn't it time we showed that 
Texas is advanced enough to do the same?

We urge all Texans to contact their state representatives to support this 
bill. You can contact Texans for Medical Marijuana at 512-220-9202 or 
www.TexansforMedicalMarijuana.org

Julian Ward

Austin
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake