Journey for Justice

Two Blade articles about the Journey for Justice mentioned Elvy Musikka of
Florida smoking marijuana in public before the press and police. Both
indicated that while this is not legal in Ohio, it is in the Sunshine state.

To the contrary, there is no legal protection for medical marijuana users
in Florida. But Ms. Musikka was not showing disrespect for either state's
laws. Ms.Musikka is one of eight patients being supplied medical marijuana
by the federal government, and has been for over eight years.

She receives 300 cigarettes each month containing marijuana grown by the
government at a farm in Mississippi, and uses them under the protection of
federal law. Ms. Musikka has glaucoma, and to preserve her remaining
vision, she must use ten marijuana cigarettes each day. Other medicine, to
include a synthetic pill made from one of the substances found in
marijuana, has proved ineffective.

Of course she believes that doctors should have the right to prescribe
marijuana. She joined the Journey out of concern for the thousands who are
treated as criminals for using the medicine their doctors recommend.

Her example proves that, rarely, our government can react with common sense
and compassion, allowing doctors to practice medicine and patients to
receive the medicine that appears to work best for them.

Richard Lake

Sylvania