It makes no sense to treat cancer patients and other chronically ill individuals like criminals for attempting to ease their pain and suffering. But that's exactly what Alabama does by preventing its sickest residents from using marijuana under a doctor's supervision. For many patients, prescription painkillers do not help and their harmful side effects are a lot of times worse than the original symptoms. Denying this more natural and safer type of relief is nothing less than cruel.

Fourteen states have now legalized medical marijuana, the most recent being New Jersey on January. The Michael Phillips Compassionate Care Act has been introduced into the House of Representatives by Rep. Patricia Todd this session.

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It makes no sense to treat cancer patients and other chronically ill individuals like criminals for attempting to ease their pain and suffering. But that's exactly what Alabama does, preventing its sickest residents from using marijuana under a doctor's supervision.

For many patients, prescription painkillers do not help, and their harmful side effects are much worse than the original symptoms. Denying this more natural and safer type of relief is nothing less than cruel.

Fourteen states have legalized medical marijuana. The most recent was New Jersey in January.

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I write today concerning House Bill 434, which would provide protection for physicians who recommend and patients who use medical marijuana in Alabama.

I am a patient who suffers from constant chronic pain resulting from a near-fatal motor vehicle accident nearly 22 years ago. In 2005, I became unable to work and began taking morphine, which was prescribed by a pain-management doctor. This medicine was horribly addictive and completely destroyed my quality of life.

Medical marijuana is a natural alternative to narcotic pain medicine. It is a plant that has many medicinal purposes and very few side effects, none of which is as bad as the stuff constantly advertised on TV.

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