Pubdate: Sun, 27 Feb 2011 Source: West Yellowstone News (MT) Copyright: 2011 West Yellowstone News Contact: http://www.westyellowstonenews.com/site/forms/?mode=letters Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5237 Author: Robert Sharpe Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v11/n105/a07.html LEGISLATORS SHOULD LISTEN TO VOTERS Regarding your Feb. 13 editorial, Montana legislators are poised to defy the will of Montana voters and repeal the state's compassionate-use medical marijuana law. Apparently the big government knows best mindset is alive and well in Montana. While there have been studies showing that marijuana can shrink cancerous tumors, medical marijuana is essentially a palliative drug. If a doctor recommends marijuana to a patient undergoing chemotherapy and it helps them feel better, then it's working. In the end, medical marijuana is a quality of life decision best left to patients and doctors. Drug warriors waging war on non-corporate drugs contend that organic marijuana is not an effective health intervention. Their prescribed intervention for medical marijuana patients is handcuffs, jail cells and criminal records. This heavy-handed approach suggests that drug warriors should not be dictating healthcare decisions. Montana legislators should respect voters and continue to let doctors decide what is right for their patients; sick patients should not be jailed for daring to seek relief from marijuana. Robert Sharpe Arlington, Va. (Robert Sharpe is a policy analyst with the organization Common Sense for Drug Policy, which advocates, among other things, the regulation and control of marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol.) - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake