Pubdate: Sat, 21 Aug 2010
Source: Daily Chronicle (DeKalb, IL)
Copyright: 2010 Victor Polz
Contact: http://www.daily-chronicle.com/forms/letters/
Website: http://www.daily-chronicle.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3685
Author: Victor Polz

TOO MANY BENEFITS TO CANNABIS

As someone who personally has seen the benefits of medical cannabis,
it is unconscionable for the lawmakers in the state to withhold vital
treatment to patients.

After open-heart surgery with a lot of complications left me blind, I
was seen by several eye specialists and was told there were no
manufactured drugs to expand the blood vessels in the eyes. That
sometimes you just have to trust in God.

As it turns out, cannabis, created by God, does exactly this, among
other benefits. This law is not only unconstitutional, it also is
unsupported by every study ever done even by the DEA. See
Administrative Judge Francis L. Young's ruling from Sept. 6, 1988, in
which he states, "the evidence in this record clearly shows that
marijuana has been accepted as capable of relieving the distress of
great numbers of very ill people, and doing so with safety under
medical supervision. It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and
capricious for DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and
the benefits of this substance in light of the evidence in this record."

Notice the word "substance" and not "drug." I am still partially blind
and suffer from chronic arthritis pain. To be of real service to the
people, I would like to see this whole ruling published and more of a
positive spin to get this "law" struck down. Whether you agree or not,
if you would do some research, you would find that the state police,
American Medical Association, AARP, and numerous others are supporting
a change.

Victor Polz

Malta
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake