Pubdate: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 Source: Anniston Star (AL) Copyright: 2010 Consolidated Publishing Contact: http://www.annistonstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/923 Author: Ron Crumpton MEDICAL MARIJUANA NEEDED The question that Alabamians must ask themselves, with the current trend tending toward legalization of medical marijuana, is it fair to deny patients the medicine that they need and should have every right to use? Once again, the Michael Phillips Compassionate Care Act will be presented to the Alabama House of Representatives for its approval in the next session. The bill would allow the use of medical marijuana in Alabama. The MPCCA passed both house judiciary and rules sub-committees before Alabama Compassionate Care and the bill's sponsor Patricia Todd agreed to remove the bill and work out some of the problems legislators had before going forward. In the next session, the MPCCA will again make its way through the state Legislature. This would be the first time in the Deep South that patients suffering from cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain and other ailments would be able to use a medicine that many researchers and doctors agree is the best thing for them. Marijuana is not the substance that it was portrayed to be by Reefer Madness and other propaganda. It is simple: No other drug treats as large of a variety of illnesses. So, why are we still punishing patients? Ronald Crumpton Pelham - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom