Pubdate: Wed, 06 Oct 2010
Source: Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ)
Copyright: 2010 The Arizona Republic
Contact: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/sendaletter.html
Website: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/24
Author: Andrew Myers
Cited: Proposition 203 http://stoparrestingpatients.org/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?273 (Proposition 203)

THE KEY WORD IS COMPASSION

Arizona Medical Marijuana Act

Prop. 203 is about compassion, control and common sense.

The purpose of the proposed law is to allow seriously ill patients, 
whose doctors believe they would benefit from the use of marijuana, 
to acquire the medicine they need under tightly regulated conditions.

Unlike California, where it's possible to get a doctor's 
recommendation to use marijuana for almost any condition, only 
patients with a limited number of serious and debilitating 
conditions, including cancer, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer's, and multiple 
sclerosis, will be able to acquire medical marijuana in Arizona.

Unlike Colorado, where state and local laws have made it possible for 
500 to 1,000 medical-marijuana dispensaries to set up shop, the 
number of dispensaries in Arizona will be limited to one for every 10 
pharmacies.

Currently, that means only 124 dispensaries will be allowed in the 
entire state.

Although this proposed law is restrictive, it will accomplish the 
most important goal of any medical-marijuana law: It will protect 
seriously ill patients using medical marijuana from arrest and 
imprisonment. It will also free them from the shame, danger and 
unreliability of having to find the medicine they need on the 
streets. Please help thousands of Arizona patients by voting yes on Prop. 203.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake