Pubdate: Mon, 11 Dec 2000 Source: Dallas Morning News (TX) Copyright: 2000 The Dallas Morning News Contact: P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, Texas 75265 Fax: (972) 263-0456 Feedback: http://dmnweb.dallasnews.com/letters/ Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Forum: http://forums.dallasnews.com/cgi-bin/wwwthreads.pl Author: Steve Helms COMPASSIONATE SOCIETY? The more I read and study about the potential benefits of medical marijuana (including President Clinton's 1999 Institute of Medicine study) as a method for relieving pain and wasting diseases the more disgusted I become with drug policy in Texas. No Texas legislator is willing to carry the torch for medical marijuana in Texas since it is too hot a topic and the Texas Legislature has prevented any public initiatives to place a question on the ballot on this issue. When people are in pain and/or are terminally ill, who are we to prevent them access to something that might at least improve the quality of their lives or alleviate to some degree the pain in which they are living while waiting to die? Who are we to disregard what is going on in other states and countries with respect to the use of medical marijuana? Anecdotal evidence of the benefits of medical marijuana goes back thousands of years but this is ignored too. The federal response (at least the Clinton administration's) to medical marijuana is clear. No. And if Mr. Clinton and the DEA have anything to say on the matter it is no to states' rights and to voters' rights to decide what is best for those in every state in the union. Unfortunately, the U.S. senators from Texas and my representative from Texas are just as unenlightened and as cruel as the Clinton administration when it comes to medical marijuana. They all say we will be sending the wrong message to our children. I think passing any legislation that helps alleviate pain and suffering sends the right message to children that we have a caring and compassionate society. STEVE HELMS, Southlake, Texas - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart