Pubdate: Tue, 24 Oct 2006
Source: Modesto Bee, The (CA)
Copyright: 2006 The Modesto Bee
Contact:  http://www.modbee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/271
Author: Scott O'Conner
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)

THE TRUTH ABOUT MEDICINAL POT

I voted yes on Proposition 215 in 1996. I am a registered nurse and 
at the time was working with oncology patients. I agree that these 
patients, as well as many others, could at least receive no harm from 
marijuana -- if not receive multiple benefits. However, the recent 
letters stating that if medical marijuana were available at 
drugstores our prisons would not be overcrowded are ludicrous. When 
was the last time a patient using medical marijuana went to prison 
for marijuana possession, or jail, or even was arrested? Only people 
who take this to the extreme (pot houses, etc.) suffer these severe 
punishments. Most of the debate either for or against medicinal 
marijuana rarely touches the issues that got it voted into law to begin with.

Terminally ill patients do not buy extra weed to sell to little kids. 
And no medical studies show how long one is impaired by smoking 
marijuana vs. how long it is in their system.

Scott O'Conner

Modesto
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman