Pubdate: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 Source: Seattle Times (WA) Copyright: 2013 The Seattle Times Company Contact: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/409 Author: Adriana Vetter Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n507/a06.html PATIENTS MUST BE CONSIDERED Editor, The Times: I read the article on what lawmakers are looking to do to regulate legal cannabis. And I just saw red ["State pot officials can exhale as rules get the OK," page one, Oct. 17]. What I'm most concerned about is that government officials and the Liquor Control Board members aren't talking to medical-marijuana patients. I'm concerned that we'll see the government treating the marijuana industry like the liquor industry after Prohibition - in that the casual users and their cash will have the laws tailored to them because the cash seems more important, especially for states that are suffering from the effects of a sluggish economy. Legislation that does not include medical-marijuana patients, like me, basically puts our needs aside. And the fact that for many of us, medical cannabis is the difference between costly, dangerous Western medicine and a life that still has some quality while we fight our diseases. We are different from casual users and I sincerely hope we aren't forgotten. - - Adriana Vetter, Seattle - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom