Reader Says Medical Marijuana Is A Life-saver

To The Editor:

I feel the state is losing a lot of money putting people in jail for just smoking this stuff (marijuana).  There are people out there who smoke this and go about their daily lives with no problems.  You'd be surprised the people out there who smoke this, they're not all kids and they are from every class, profession, etc.

My problem is this: Medical marijuana.

There are people out there who are so sick, like I was at one time.  I'm doing better now but I still have flare-ups.

There was a time where I couldn't even leave the house.  I was given all kinds of drugs that didn't work, the doctor even had me on steroids for long periods of time.

The drugs that people take today for chronic illnesses: vicodin, oxcontin, dilaudid ALL have side effects and can be addictive.

I've been on these drugs and beleive me, you can't function very well at times and they are addictive.  Thank God I'm not addicted to any of them because for the most part, I suffered with my illness instead of taking the pain pills, but I did take the steroids to get me to my feet again.

I can't believe there are people out there who have NEVER even taken the stuff and they don't want others to take it!

This stuff has no side effects except for munchies, it doesn't make you want to hurt anyone like alcolhol does, it doesn't make you want to speed at 90 miles an hour while you're driving, like alcohol does.  All you want to do is mello out and relax.

How do I know? Because as a young adult, I did it all the time.  I'm not dead, addicted, nor did I ever kill anyone.

Marijuana alone does not hurt anyone and I feel that anyone with a chronic illness should have a right to have whatever it takes to make them feel better.

I went in front of the city council asking for their approval for medical marijuana and Mrs. Vadnais, who is a nurse and has a police officer for a son, didn't want to hear it nor did a doctor who was in the room. Well, excuse me but have either of you been sick enough to want to take your life? I don't think so.

Be that person in pain 24/7 and see if you would rather take a few tokes of something to try and stop the pain or ingest a drug that's gonna give you side effects and make you so drowsy you won't even know if it's day or night.

If any of my friends out there are reading this and feel they are too embarrassed to be a friend of mine now that I've said what I feel, please don't bother with me, you weren't here for me when I was sick and I survived. I surely don't need you now.

I say also, that if the world took a few tokes all at the same time, we would have world peace for at least an hour.

Thank you.

Yvette M Ayotte, Woonsocket, RI