States prove success of medicinal marijuana
I must agree with Tom Powell and other supporters of medical marijuana, as described in The Daily Cardinal's article (""New York Times ad sparks debate on medical marijuana use in Wis."" March 8-10).
Here in California, we passed a law legalizing marijuana for medical use over five years ago. Many of our citizens suffering from debilitating, often terminal diseases such as cancer and AIDS have benefited greatly from this unique medicine. Even our local city officials and police departments, many of whom originally opposed the measure, are now fully supportive. And how could they not be? Take just a few minutes to talk to one of the patients who use cannabis. Their eyes filling with tears; they will describe how greatly it has improved their lives by allowing them to function normally despite debilitating pain, and stimulating their appetite when other medicines could not. In many cases, these people only have a few years of life remaining. Anyone who interacts with one of these patients will instantly agree that legalizing cannabis for medical purposes is an act of compassion beyond measure.
