Pubdate: Thu, 12 Feb 2009
Source: Stephenville Empire-Tribune (TX)
Copyright: 2009 Stephenville Empire-Tribune
Contact:  http://www.empiretribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3069
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n000/a025.html
Author: Colleen Minter McCool
Note: Title by MAP

IT IS UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITY TO HARASS THE SICK AND DYING

To the editor,

This is in response to the story about the nursing home resident found
with marijuana.

It is un-American activity to harass the sick and dying. It is reefer
madness to equate use with abuse and to punish nonviolent people for a
safer choice. Marijuana has never caused an overdose death and is less
addicting than caffeine. It is down right sinister, a crime against
humanity, for the medicinal uses of cannabis to be suppressed.
Patients actually testify to Cannabis' help in treating Alzheimer's,
post traumatic stress, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis,
gastrointestinal (GI) tract disorders, cancer, hepatitis C and
HIV/AIDS and more!

Profiteering has no place in medicine, which must be concerned with
the well being of the individual not the bottom line. Doctors who have
monitored cannabis use by hundreds of thousands of patients in
California and Oregon can document a consistent pattern of using less
pharmaceuticals including a 50 percent reduction of opiate use.
Repealing prohibition of marijuana would bring much needed healthcare
reform.

Servants of tyranny are good at ignoring history and science while
catering to the needs of special interests.  The tobacco, alcohol and
prescription drug gangs cause more death annually than all illicit
drugs.

Murderers and violent sexual predators roam free, while we police
nonviolent social, medicinal and religious drug use. This is not the
best use of our limited resources.

The violence and official lawlessness triggered by the drug war will
end with repeal just as these policies created problems disappeared
with repeal of alcohol prohibition.

All in all, the worst public policy since slavery is a bigger scandal
and disgrace than sex in the oval office!

We, the people want a better drug policy about saving or
rehabilitating lives instead of ruining them. Regulation, science
based education and treating abusers as patients not criminals or harm
reduction is a better drug policy that increases public safety.

We must go beyond stopping DEA raids of state-authorized medical
marijuana providers. Stop all SWAT style drug raids! Abolish the DEA!
Abolish the Drug Czar's office; put drug policy where it belongs under
the Surgeon General.

Please beg our first minority president to end the worst public policy
since slavery; repeal prohibition.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Colleen Minter McCool

Stephenville