Pubdate: Tue, 17 Apr 2012 Source: Telegraph, The (Nashua, NH) Copyright: 2012 Telegraph Publishing Company Contact: http://www.nashuatelegraph.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/885 Author: Carla Mora MEDICAL MARIJUANA NEEDS THREE VOTES Most people know someone who suffers from chronic pain due to some ailment. If there were a safe alternative to sometimes harmful prescription drugs that cause side effects to help ease suffering, would you make an effort to make sure it was available to patients? What if the alternative treatment was marijuana? I have been watching documentaries, reading articles and attending talks regarding medical marijuana, and am astounded by its many uses. At a recent symposium in Boston, Rick Doblin, founder of a research group on the effects of medical marijuana, stated that statistics show more people now support medical marijuana than are against it. The most notable change is in the number who now support it because they have a friend who is ailing and could benefit from using it. In March, the medical marijuana bill (SB 409) passed the Senate by a 13-11 vote. While this is great news, the bad news is that Gov. John Lynch said he would veto the bill. This is where you come into play. If three of the senators who voted "no" change their vote to "yes," it would guarantee a veto-proof bill. Can you imagine the work that has gone into this process so far? Patients are so close to having what they need. They could use your help. Please contact your senators and ask them to change their votes from "no" to "yes," and if they voted "yes", please thank them. Carla Mora Plaistow - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom