Pubdate: Tue, 07 Sep 2004
Source: Zephyr, The (IL)
Copyright: 2004, The Zephyr
Contact:  http://www.thezephyr.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1566
Author: Richard J. Rawlings

MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Editor:

Twenty state Representatives meet October 4th to hear sides of the
Medical Cannabis Act, HB 4868. This bill would allow doctors to
prescribe cannabis to their patients. Allow the patient, or their
caregiver to grow six plants and have up to a quarter pound of useable
cannabis in their home.

Doctors should be allowed to prescribe cannabis to their patients if
they feel it will help their patient mentally or physically, without
fear of imprisonment or lose of their medical license. The sick need
safe access to this medicine, and not to be made to live in fear of
arrest, theft, or getting killed because marijuana helps them.
Licensed caregivers to grow and distribute cannabis to patients in a
healthy and safe environment would help ease these fears.

Cannabis has many medicinal benefits, from curing a simple headache to
relieving nausea and pain of the chronically ill. Medical marijuana is
not an option for some, it is a necessity! Marijuana is safer then
aspirin and many pharmaceutical medicines the government says are ok
to ingest. Who knows your body better, you and your doctor, or the
government?

Marijuana is not the gateway to other illegal drugs, prohibition is!
As long as marijuana is prohibited, you will continue to see a rise in
all illegal drug use, and violence created by the black market. House
Bill 4868 is one step in the right direction of sane marijuana policy
in Illinois.

Richard J. Rawlings

Illinois Marijuana Party

Bartonville
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake