Post by srahn48 on Jan 17, 2010 10:28:09 GMT -6
I've sent out the following and was just contacted by Minot daily news on printing the letter below, I anticipate Dickinson, Williston, Devils Lake, Grand Forks, Fargo, Valley City and Jamestown to print it as well.
“Medical Cannabis”
Steve Rahn, Mandan, ND
I'm writing to urge your support for HR 2835 - the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2009.
This legislation seeks to amend the discrepancy between federal law and the laws of more than a dozen states that have enacted regulations governing the therapeutic use of cannabis. At the same time, passage of the act will not alter or interfere with already existing federal laws discouraging the non-medical, recreational use of marijuana, nor would it legalize the physician-supervised use of medical cannabis in states that have not already approved it.
The use of marijuana as medicine is a public health issue. It should not be part of the war on drugs. Nearly half of all doctors with opinions support legalizing cannabis as a medicine, and more than 80 state and national health care organizations - including the American Nurses Association, American Public Health Association, the American College of Physicians, and The New England Journal of Medicine - support granting qualified patients immediate legal access to medical cannabis.
To deny an effective medication to the sick and dying in order to "send a strong message to kids" against drug abuse is cruel and unconscionable, and improperly interferes with the relationship between a patient and his or her physician.
State and federal laws already allow the medical use of many drugs, such as cocaine and morphine, which can be abused in a non-medical setting. Basic compassion and common sense demand that we allow the seriously ill to use whatever medication provides safe and effective relief. That is why eight out of 10 American voters now say they support the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes.
“Medical Cannabis”
Steve Rahn, Mandan, ND
I'm writing to urge your support for HR 2835 - the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2009.
This legislation seeks to amend the discrepancy between federal law and the laws of more than a dozen states that have enacted regulations governing the therapeutic use of cannabis. At the same time, passage of the act will not alter or interfere with already existing federal laws discouraging the non-medical, recreational use of marijuana, nor would it legalize the physician-supervised use of medical cannabis in states that have not already approved it.
The use of marijuana as medicine is a public health issue. It should not be part of the war on drugs. Nearly half of all doctors with opinions support legalizing cannabis as a medicine, and more than 80 state and national health care organizations - including the American Nurses Association, American Public Health Association, the American College of Physicians, and The New England Journal of Medicine - support granting qualified patients immediate legal access to medical cannabis.
To deny an effective medication to the sick and dying in order to "send a strong message to kids" against drug abuse is cruel and unconscionable, and improperly interferes with the relationship between a patient and his or her physician.
State and federal laws already allow the medical use of many drugs, such as cocaine and morphine, which can be abused in a non-medical setting. Basic compassion and common sense demand that we allow the seriously ill to use whatever medication provides safe and effective relief. That is why eight out of 10 American voters now say they support the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes.
