It sure is funny when I think how things in life seem to come back later in life. When I came home from the Army in 1970, I tried smoking marijuana. When I got married I stopped.

Now, as a 56 year-old, I am told by my eye doctor to smoke more marijuana. I have glaucoma, an eye disease characterized by increased pressure in the eyeball. It is very painful and is a leading cause of blindness. I have tried nearly all of the prescription medications for glaucoma and had heart-related side effects.

Back in the early 1970s Virginia was one of the first states to allow marijuana to be used as medicine for glaucoma and cancer. Until recently the law was hardly ever used in court. The law doesn't protect anyone from being arrested in Virginia.

A medical user can still be arrested, put in jail and have to come up with thousands of dollars in bail to get out of jail. All the law does in Virginia is allow the defendant to use a defense of medical necessity. That means his lawyer is allowed to say to the jury or judge the defendant is using marijuana for medicine to alleviate the symptoms of glaucoma or nausea associated with cancer therapy. A medical marijuana user still has to pay a lawyer tons of money to defend him in court.

There are 11 other states that allow marijuana used as medicine, and those states protect the suffering person from arrest. That patient will not be arrested and have to post bail or pay a lawyer and is able to use the money to pay doctors instead. I believe it is time for Virginia to come into the 21st century and make the law work for sick and dying Virginians.

I e-mailed my Senator in Richmond, Edd Houck, and pleaded with him to do something for others in my position here in Virginia. Here was his reply:

"I was one of those who helped enact the current medical marijuana law in Virginia. I truly fear anytime there will be an attempt to repeal it; especially if someone advances a measure that you suggest. The current political climate in Richmond is very severe and I cannot change that except to help candidates who are willing to run as an alternate. Likewise, the other thing I can do is to keep myself in place to help many worthwhile causes. In the end, I have to use my best judgment on how proposed measures will fair and what effect they will have. Unfortunately, I do not agree that now is the time for what you are suggesting."

My delegate, Ed Scott, just repeated the law to me, and said to contact my federal representative if I want. I ask you, what kind of representation is this?

The medical marijuana law might affect thousands of Virginians in a positive way. Your neighbor with alzheimer's disease might be able to remember his wife and kids for more years, as opposed to weeks, if they were allowed access to medical marijuana. Another Virginian would be able to stop taking or take less of the addictive opiate pain medicine. And I could be able to stop from going blind.

Newshawk: Virginia NORML www.vanorml.org
Pubdate: Wed, 29 Nov 2006
Source: Culpeper Star-Exponent (VA)
Copyright: 2006 Culpeper Star-Exponent
Contact: rhumphreys@starexponent.com
Website: http://www.starexponent.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1946
Author: J.D. "Whitey" Hardin
Note: J.D. "Whitey" Hardin is a resident of Locust Grove.