American Bar Association Journal, June 17th, 2005
LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS TARGETED
In "More Tokes to Come in Medical Pot Case," (June 10) John Gibeaut wrote, "[U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul] Stevens said that carving an exception for medical purposes would impede enforcement efforts ... because recreational demand ... means some
state-approved pot likely would wind up on the illegal interstate market." In states where medical marijuana is illegal, all of this medicine winds up on the illegal market. Although every high school in America contains some cannabis, we law-abiding patients suffer frequently without our medicine.
I'm a suburban wife and mom who got sick -- not a criminal. I moved my family 3,000 miles to Oregon just so I could be a law-abiding citizen and take the medicine that gave me back my life when every other treatment for Crohn's disease failed. Our tax dollars would be better spent in pursuit of real criminals, not sick and dying people who are forced to choose between obeying the law and their health.
Erin Hildebrandt
Lafayette, Ore.
