Pubdate: Tue, 04 Jul 2006
Source: Pantagraph, The  (IL)
Copyright: 2006 The Pantagraph
Contact:  http://www.pantagraph.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/643
Author: Pete Guither
Note: Pete Guither hosts Drug WarRant, http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

WANTED APPROVAL OF MEDICAL-MARIJUANA

On June 28, Rep. Jerry Weller voted to continue wasting our tax
dollars on harassing sick people in other states who are following
their doctors' instructions and state law.

Eleven states have made it legal for patients with cancer, AIDS or
other serious diseases to use medical marijuana under a doctor's
supervision if it works for them. And we have plenty of things on
which to spend tax money that are much more important than sending
federal agents to those 11 states to lock up grandma in her wheelchair.

Citizens Against Government Waste called the practice a waste of
federal resources and said that it "proves that the government is
incapable of exercising any kind of fiscal restraint."

Additionally, the Presbyterian Church recently joined the United
Methodist Church, Episcopal Church, United Church of Christ, Union for
Reform Judaism, Progressive National Baptist Convention and the
Unitarian Universalist Association in actively supporting the use of
medical marijuana in these situations. Not a single denomination has
opposed it.

Most recent polls have shown that over 70 percent of Americans support
the right of seriously ill people to use medical marijuana.

Does Jerry Weller realize that it's our money he's throwing
away?

If he wants to go to some other state and interfere with a doctor and
patient following their state law, he's welcome to do it on his own,
but he shouldn't be spending our tax dollars.

His vote does not represent American values, moral values or even
traditional "Republican" values, and does nothing for the people of
Illinois.

By the way, kudos are due to Rep. Tim Johnson for voting to end this
reprehensible practice. Too bad he couldn't count on his colleagues.

Pete Guither

Bloomington
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin