Pubdate: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 Source: Frederick News Post (MD) Copyright: 2001 Great Southern Printing and Manufacturing Company Address: 200 East Patrick Street, PO Box 578, Frederick, MD 21705-0578 Fax: 301-662-8299 Feedback: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/contact/contactfinalnew.cfm?contact=letters Website: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/ Author: Michael Barnes Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) LEGISLATIVE COURAGE Legislators David Brinkley and Louise Snodgrass, both Republicans, and Democrat Sue Hecht deserve praise and thanks for their show of political courage in co-sponsoring Delegate Donald Murphy's "Darrell Putman Compassionate Use Act," which would remove the criminal penalties associated with marijuana use as medicine. This bill has been cross-filed by Senator Ulysses Currie in the state Senate. Senate bill 705 needs to go before the Judicial Proceedings committee, on which both of our senators sit. I urge everyone to contact them and urge them, not to act like our dearly departed ex-president and his ilk, to support this measure to remove a government impediment to the treatment of sick people. People need to realize that this isn't a bill that will "send a message." This a bill that will allow doctors and patients to decide the best treatment for a variety of symptoms without fear of government reprisal. After all, who should we trust more to make decisions about our health and treatment, our family doctor or the government? This is an open invitation to Senators Alex Mooney and Tim Ferguson, as well as the other delegates in Frederick County (Paul Stull, Joe Bartlett, Donald Elliott) to show their constituents that they believe in smaller government, that they trust that people and their doctors can make better decisions about their health than the government, and that doctors and patients should be able to make such decision without fear of government action. Michael Barnes, Frederick - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager