Pubdate: Thu, 12 Mar 2009 Source: Tuscaloosa News, The (AL) Copyright: 2009 The Tuscaloosa News Contact: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1665 Author: Don Seibold PLEASE SUPPORT MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL Dear Editor: I respectfully request that your newspaper support HB434 in the Alabama House of Representatives and any companion bill that is introduced in the Alabama Senate. This bill would change Alabama law to allow certain citizens described in the bill to use marijuana under the conditions prescribed in the bill to deal with their medical situations. In 1970, after 16 plus years in the military, I was medically discharged because of a physical condition that rendered me physically unfit for further service to our country. Before then, I underwent two invasive surgeries to try to correct a condition in my lower spine, neither of which brought relief for the pain I suffered. So, for half or more of my life, I've lived with chronic pain which has gotten worse over time. As a law abiding citizen I have never used marijuana, even though I've read and heard that using it might give me some relief. If HB434 changes the law to make medical marijuana legal at least I will have the opportunity to legally use it to see if it will ease my pain as it reportedly has for so many other people around our nation. Don Seibold Wetumpka - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom