cannabisnews.com: Ask Your Lawmakers To Support Medical Marijuana Ask Your Lawmakers To Support Medical Marijuana Posted by CN Staff on December 08, 2002 at 14:25:13 PT Opinion by Jim White Source: Athens News In drafting the "Ohio Medical Marijuana Act 2002," the Ohio Patient Network utilized the experiences of other states that have passed compassionate use acts. We examined the problems that arose and observed how they were addressed by the states and various communities; we then incorporated all of the very best aspects into the OMMA 2002.Our intent is to provide for the compassionate use of marijuana when it has been determined by a physician to be an effective treatment for certain debilitating or terminal illnesses. In addition, we wanted to provide protection to medical professionals who may recommend marijuana to their patients, and provide law enforcement a means with which they could easily identify legitimate medical users and caregivers. (It should be noted that a recent report issued by the U.S. General Accounting Office found that medical marijuana laws had little effect on local law enforcement efforts.)We believe that we have met these goals and that the general public and our state legislators will stand behind the patients who desperately need the protections afforded by the act.There are however the detractors who believe that marijuana can cause more harm than good. We have examined the available evidence, and found that while cannabis use is not without risks, the risks are not as serious or life threatening, nor are they as detrimental to health as are most of the prescription medications patients are now forced to use.Further, these detractors maintain that science should decide the matter, while at the same time, politicians (by and far the most ardent detractors of all) continue to hamper any research or clinical trials by refusing to remove marijuana from schedule 1 to another classification that would permit science to gather information and conduct unencumbered research into the effects and health benefits of marijuana.We maintain that as long as this continues to be the case, people will needlessly suffer, and be exposed to criminal activity or criminal prosecution for merely seeking relief from their medical conditions.Our in-depth analysis shows that nearly 70 percent of Ohioans support legitimate access to marijuana for medical purposes, Republican and Democrat alike. We would ask that everyone who supports our position contact their state legislators and encourage them to support the Ohio Medical Marijuana Act 2002.Jim White, Vice PresidentOhio Patient Network, ColumbusComplete Title: Ask Your Lawmakers To Support Medical Marijuana LegislationSource: Athens News, The (OH)Author: Jim WhitePublished: December 05, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Athens NewsContact: news athensnews.comWebsite: http://www.athensnews.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Ohio Patient Networkhttp://www.ohiopatient.net/GAO Report in PDF Formathttp://www.freedomtoexhale.com/gao.pdfIs Compassionate Cannabis Use on Horizon in Ohio? http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14874.shtmlLaw Officers Have Mixed Reaction To Med Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14856.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by The GCW on December 09, 2002 at 04:42:54 PT Christmas is a good time to reach for Christ. How does cannabis effect the different facets of wisdom? In Proverbs 3, wisdom is refered to as “she”. And here are some one liners; She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; And Her gain better than fine gold; The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; Do not let kindness and truth leave You; Do not withhold good to those whom it is due; Do not devise harm agaisnt Your neighbor; Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways. For the devious are an abomination to the Lord; But He is intimate with the upright. Peace be upon You. And peace be upon those who withhold good to those whom it is due. The Green Collar Worker [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by The GCW on December 08, 2002 at 16:08:34 PT Ohio, Vermont, and there will be more and more.It takes a special person to want to cage a sick human for using cannabis for relief.It's nearing 2003, and You have to be sick in the head, (I mean really deficient of basic concepts I take for granted), to cage a human for using a plant.Let's ask: What would Jesus (you know, that guy whose birthday we're about to celebrate) do? He chose to break the law in order to heal the sick. Our President on the other hand seem like He would be doing the arresting of Christ, and Bush and His brother Jeb, are the two leading killers of Americans by way of Governorship of their respective states, by executions... Bush executed more prisoners than any other Gov. AND His bro, is #2. (Imagine having that record, when the last few moments of Your life are at hand with Him who created cannabis for Us to begin with) If I were Christ, today, that would catch My attention.And it does.The Green Collar WorkerAs jini over at Christians for Cannabis (http://www.christiansforcannabis.com/), points out: "Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act." -Proverbs 3:27 [ Post Comment ] Post Comment