It's been 10 years since medical marijuana legislation passed, but patients have difficulty with access to supply their marijuana. Difficulty getting marijuana prescriptions by medical-pharmaceutical interests continues.

Law enforcement target these people, hoping to inflict some legal damage.

I'm telling you these patients suffer enough. As a registered nurse, I could tell positive stories of marijuana therapy and persons who could benefit from medicinal use. It's sad when individuals restrict their health decisions based on politics, regulation, fear and public opinion.

If you want to talk about health concerns, let's be concerned with pharmaceuticals. Have you heard the stories about Thalidomide, Vioxx, Avandia?

Even Tylenol kills people. Pharmaceutical products and profits are problems that need control and regulation. But marijuana isn't part of that picture.

Marijuana doesn't kill people, never has. Studies show there is no known lethal dose. It's all political fear-mongering at the expense of public health.

Medical and pharmaceutical interests have control (and money) they don't want to lose. Does anyone notice the absurd cost of pharmaceuticals?

Marijuana should be a personal health-care choice, easily accessible, low cost and even tax-free.

Yes, passing Question 5 will help suffering patients by establishing a means to medicinal marijuana. It isn't perfect, in fact I don't like the bigger government part, but it's better than where we are now.

Please realize that it's not about us. It's about those in pain, vomiting, having seizures or just wasting away. None of us would choose to walk in their shoes but we shouldn't overlook their difficulties. First, let them make their own health-care decisions and don't treat them like criminals.

It's only criminal that we don't help them. Put some of your heart in your vote. Please vote "yes" on Question 5.

Dean DeWitt

China Village