Pubdate: Thu, 07 Sep 2000
Source: Watertown Daily Times (NY)
Copyright: 2000 Watertown Daily Times
Contact:  260 Washington Street, Watertown NY 13601-3364
Fax: (315) 782-1040
Website: http://www.wdt.net
Author: Christopher Young

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

One of today's hottest controversies has its basis in an ancient tradition: 
the use of plants as medicine. Today, a plant with remarkable therapeutic 
potential is illegal to cultivate, illegal to purchase, unavailable even to 
researchers who wish to study its medical properties. The plant is called 
cannabis sativa, better known as marijuana.

Despite significant evidence that cannabis has many therapeutic 
applications, it is currently unavailable for medical use. What's more, 
accurate information on the beneficial properties of marijuana is difficult 
to obtain, even for health care professionals. As a result, most doctors 
are either ignorant of the plant's benefit or intimidated by its illegal 
status.

I am a supporter of NORML, the National Organization for the Repeal of 
Marijuana Legislation and am involved in seeing cannabis sativa legalized 
for treatment of menstrual cramps, glaucoma, AIDS, chronic pain to cite a 
few, and for its value as nutrient and fiber.

Christopher Young, Watertown, New York
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