Pubdate: Thu, 05 Dec 2013
Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune (MN)
Copyright: 2013 Star Tribune
Contact: http://www.startribunecompany.com/143
Website: http://www.startribune.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/266
Author: Kathy Rippentrop, Lakeville

TOUTING MEDICAL POT

Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom should stick to his role:
enforcing, not writing, the law ("Backstrom firmly against medical use
of marijuana," Dec. 1)

Perhaps his most insulting claim is that marijuana is not medicine.

While it's true that marijuana has not gone through the Federal Drug
Administration approval process, that's due to federal obstruction of
research, not its lack of medicinal value.

Studies have shown marijuana is effective at treating several
debilitating conditions, including wasting, intense nausea and
intractable pain.

My mother used marijuana to ease the debilitating and life-threatening
side effects of chemotherapy, allowing her to live for over four years
post-diagnosis.

She wouldn't have survived the second year without
marijuana.

With it, she could keep fighting and was even able to travel
overseas.

A third of Americans now live in states with medical marijuana
programs. Minnesota lawmakers should listen to patients who have
benefited from using the drug medicinally. Law enforcement in 20
states and D.C. have managed just fine since medical marijuana passed.

Our men and women in blue can, too.

Kathy Rippentrop, Lakeville
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MAP posted-by: Matt