Pubdate: Sun, 21 Oct 2012
Source: Gloucester County Times (NJ)
Copyright: 2012 Gloucester County Times
Contact:  http://www.nj.com/gloucester/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1153
Author: Helena Malascalza

MEDICAL MARIJUANA A POSITIVE STEP ON BALANCE

To the Editor:

It was so enlightening to read the article "N.J. cleared to open
medical marijuana site" on Oct. 16.

To me, this has been a long time coming, and it's a big step for the
human beings out there who have been suffering from horrible diseases
such as multiple sclerosis, terminal cancer and AIDS.

I've known such people personally who were suffering from multiple
sclerosis and terminal cancer. It's so heart-wrenching to be standing
there, trying to talk to and comfort them -- it just tears one's heart
out knowing that there's nothing you can do to ease their pain. Now
some of these sufferers have something to look forward to, and that's
called "hope."

There will always be pros and cons about medical marijuana, and this
is very sad.

Legal medical marijuana will be no different than having a
prescription from a doctor for other drugs. Of course, some crime
might follow this move. But approving the Greenleaf dispensary to open
isn't generally opening a door to more criminal acts.

We must look at the positives about anything medicinal out there.
There will always be crime, no matter where we go, what we do and in
anything we try.

Criminals are out there just waiting in the wings for any crack or
crevice to go through -- to destroy or scare people who fight for the
rights and good of others suffering who can't fight for themselves.
Good people shouldn't have to be made to suffer for this very dark
world of illegal drugs and the abuses that follow it.

Crime will always be there no matter what, and that's why we have
"crime fighters." This new dispensary opening will just have to be
monitored very carefully.

Helena Malascalza

Carneys Point Township
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