I am writing in support of proposed state legislation providing for the medical use of cannibas in Pennsylvania. The state may be on the brink of legalizing medical marijuana in the near future. Despite scientific data suggesting marijuana's therapeutic properties in certain patient populations, federal agencies are skeptical of its value in healthcare and apprehensive of potential consequences of its legalized use.

Medical marijuana has been used for centuries and has proven to be effective in treating a wide range of conditions such as reducing nausea and vomiting in patients receiving chemotherapy, stimulating the appetite of patients with cancer and HIV, decreasing spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries, and decreasing suffering from chronic pain (American Nurses Association, 2008).

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