Pubdate: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 Source: Mail Tribune, The (Medford, OR) Copyright: 2006 The Mail Tribune Contact: http://www.mailtribune.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/642 Note: Only prints LTEs from within it's circulation area. Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1039/a03.html Author: John Sajo STORY ONE-SIDED Your Aug. 7 front-page article by Chris Conrad, "Medical marijuana dilemma," presents only one side of the story. The medical marijuana law was not passed to make life easier for cops; it was passed to make life easier for patients. It is doing that. Over 2,000 Oregon physicians have qualified more than 14,000 patients. These doctors recommend marijuana because it works. It turns out that marijuana is much safer than morphine, oxycontin or most of the other pharmaceutical painkillers. Lt. George scoffs at the "chronic pain" that dogs many patients. I hope he never has to experience the suffering that would quickly change his mind. There have unfortunately been some thefts of patients' gardens. Thankfully law enforcement has done a good job of catching the thieves. We can minimize the problem if we create a system of regulated dispensaries so that patients don't have to produce their own medicine. That would make life easier for the police and the patients. JOHN SAJO Dillard - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake