Pubdate: Fri, 05 Dec 2008 Source: Montgomery Advertiser (AL) Copyright: 2008 The Advertiser Co. Contact: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/customerservice/letter.htm Website: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1088 Author: Sarah Wires Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08.n1060.a06.html Note: Letters from the newspaper's circulation area receive publishing priority MEDICAL PURPOSE WELL JUSTIFIED In response to "State should join marijuana list" by Loretta Nail, executive director of Alabama for Compassionate Care: Thank you for printing the letter and keeping this subject before the public. For patients who are chronically and/or terminally ill, marijuana can mean the difference in a normal life for the time they have left and being asleep on the couch or in bed from other legal medicine that might relieve the symptoms but leaves one unable to truly function, live, be normal. Alcohol is legal, cigarettes are legal, etc., for people to enjoy recreationally, at their own risk, and we know the health reports regarding both of those substances. However, patients, our fellow citizens that are ill, some of whom are dying, are having to beg for the right to use marijuana that was placed here naturally for their use. Why is that? Why will people listen to and believe reports about everything else, but the same scientific studies regarding marijuana are not believed? Why are the ill being placed in our courts for trying to treat themselves? When did we lose the right to treat ourselves? It is important that the citizens of Alabama not only help those in our state who need this medicine of choice by legalizing it medically, but at the same time help to strengthen the fight against the existing, unjust federal laws by joining the brave ranks of the other states. Sarah Wires Dora - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin