Pubdate: Sat, 23 Oct 2004 Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK) Copyright: 2004 Fairbanks Publishing Company, Inc. Contact: http://www.news-miner.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/764 Author: Peter Gordon Cited: Yes on 2 http://www.yeson2alaska.com/ Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/marijuana+initiative MEDICAL MARIJUANA To the editor: The 1998 Medical Cannabis Initiative that a majority of you voted for, has been repealed. Senate Bill 94 sponsored by Loren Leman and drafted with Alaska law enforcement, repealed all medical acquisition of cannabis. We now have an anti-medical use law on the books masquerading as aid to the afflicted. Alaskans can no longer acquire medical cannabis to ease their suffering. How do I know this? I am a medical cardholder. Owning the card makes it illegal for me to acquire cannabis for medical use. The 1998 initiative provided protection from arrest and guaranteed a confidential patient registry. Now law enforcement can invade a patient's home and arrest a patient who is in possession of a valid medical card. Loren Leman was instrumental in making it a felony for Alaskans to provide cannabis to any patient. Specifically prohibited under SB 94 are those persons who have been charged with possession of, or for growing of, cannabis. Who better to provide a medicine to a patient than those who are familiar with its use and production? The current anti-medical cannabis law is an absolute sham and travesty for we patients who are registered. I'm voting yes on Measure 2 so I might finally acquire legal medicine. Please help me and vote yes on Measure 2. Sincerely in pain, Peter Gordon, Fairbanks - --- MAP posted-by: Derek