Dear Senator Feinstein, I am writing you in hopes of compelling you to urge the Senate to pass legislation allowing scientific research of cannabis as a medicine. As our government continues to stifle the wishes of researchers and keep its head in the sand regarding the benefits of medical cannabis, patients continue to needlessly suffer and providers face serious jail time for providing safe and effective medicine to the sick and dying here in California. It was over a decade ago that the citizenry of California overwhelmingly passed the Compassionate Use Act and many other states have enacted similar legislation allowing for the use of medical cannabis. Yet, our government continues to ignore the spirit of the Constitution and the Tenth Amendment, as they use Para-Military force to shut down patient and provider outlets across the state in the name of a failed War on Drugs. Please help put and end to the unnecessary waste of resources that we see increasing every year, as the Drug Enforcement Administration accelerates its attacks in medical cannabis states. By allowing for the research process to develop and letting Doctors decide what is best for their patients we can begin to see the truth about cannabis as a medicine and allow real professionals to make educated and unbiased decisions regarding its effectiveness in treating many illnesses and diseases. I personally am facing up to twenty years in prison and a million dollars in fines for providing edible forms of cannabis to patients in the State of California. I use medical cannabis to treat the severe traumatic arthritis from having a shattered heel that is held together by seven screws and a steel plate. Conventional forms of pain medication leave me lethargic and addicted when used regularly. My liver and kidney have suffered excessive and unnecessary damage due to the use of medicines, such as Vicodin. It has also helped me not use a mind-altering medication called Welbutrin that was prescribed to me for anxiety and left me in a torn mental state from the rebound effects it created within my psyche. I was willing to fight for the right to use cannabis as a medicine and now I am inevitably going to be a burden on the taxpayers of this country by being incarcerated unjustly and immorally for my right to medicate safely with cannabis. There are many studies that continue to show the therapeutic benefits of cannabis and with safer alternatives to smoking, such as vaporization and ingestion, there are little risks associated with cannabis as a medicine. We continue to allow big business lobbying groups to shape the world of medicine, as our health care system become fractured, expensive, and very much ineffective to most of the population. Why would we allow people to poison their body with the harsh chemicals associated with the development of pharmaceuticals if there was a natural, inexpensive, and more effective alternative? This is unacceptable and I am asking you to begin to make a difference by simply allowing medical researchers to do their job and explore the benefits of cannabis therapeutics. I am aware of your reluctance to begin this process and I would ask you to reconsider. There are many patients I meet with regularly that testify to the benefits of this natural medication and it is about time we as a country begin to let researchers find out the real truth. The days of the same old political red tape caused by interference of drug company lobbyists are sure to be coming to an end and wouldn’t you want to be ahead of the curve on this issue to show your electorate that you are truly working to serve their needs better? A recent CNN poll shows that 80% of Americans believe in a persons right to use cannabis as a medicine in conjuncture with a recommendation of a licensed physician. It would probably not be a stretch to say that that number is higher in the State of California. As I sit here today scared for my future and awaiting certain incarceration for my right to choose and alternative and natural medication, I still am resolute in my belief in cannabis as a medication. I ask you to please speak up for people, such as myself, and the hundreds of thousands of other patients in medical cannabis states that deserve to be represented by our government and in particular yourself. We can no longer stand idly by ignoring study after study and jailing our citizens over archaic interpretations of racist and fascist laws that were created to put immigrants in jail and promote the profits of the nation’s biggest criminals…corporations. Thank you for your time and consideration and I look forward to supporting you in the future if you can begin to make real progress in our nation’s capitol to stop the injustices we see in our great state on a daily basis. This is an important topic and not to be taken lightly. It is imperative that you begin help us open the doors to sound scientific research and let the medical experts decide what is and what is not effective forms of therapy. Best Regards, Michael Martin Compassion Medicinal Edibles Director