Pubdate: Sun, 01 Aug 2010
Source: Billings Gazette, The (MT)
Copyright: 2010 Rick Rosio
Contact: http://billingsgazette.com/app/contact/?contact=letter
Website: http://www.billingsgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/515
Author: Rick Rosio

MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW PROBLEMS CAN BE FIXED

Regarding the "not for profit" article on medical cannabis.

Would you fault the medical centers in Billings for charging people
for their services? How about the therapists who help people deal with
dying? How about the doctors who charge until the end of life for
their services? Do you fault them?

What's wrong with the concept that a professionally managed
organization that provides free services to the hospice community and
provides cannabis regardless of the ability to pay of being a positive
member of the community?

How about the case management services that are available to help
people with eviction issues due to their using a cannabis card or
their trying to find a PCA who is comfortable with a quad client using
cannabis?

How about sending flowers when you lose a client to death and helping
take care of their pets who were the last companions?

This is not an easy task for anyone to sit day in and day out and
listen to the suffering of people who are your neighbors and family
members and try to find a way to help them laugh at life's most
difficult times. That's what happens at our cannabis clinic and most
of our clients are over 50.

When will we, the good citizens of Montana, put the suffering first
and acknowledge that there are problems that can be fixed with a
common sense application and dialog. If there is a willingness to make
this work on both sides, there needs to be co-operation from all
parties concerned and communication with law-enforcement and civic
leaders as well as cannabis producers and patients and their physicians.

It is time to deal with this as adults and put the pettiness
aside.

Rick Rosio

Montana Pain Management Missoula 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D