Letter: Neighbors shouldn’t shut down medical marijuana grows

Would you give neighbors who don’t appreciate cannabis the opportunity to shut down a patient’s home-grown source of life-saving medication? The premise offered is that the aroma is annoying to some for a few weeks of the year. I’ve probably said enough, but I will continue.

I happen to rather like the way a cannabis plant smells as it ripens. I find its earthy aroma to be similar to the sweet richness of grapevines at harvest. You may disagree with my assessment of the smell, but how bad would the odor have to be that you would judge your olfactory insult so important that you would deny a cancer patient access to this valuable medication? Purchased through dispensaries, it can cost thousands per year.

I know people who have come off opioid pain meds using cannabis. States that have legalized medical cannabis are experiencing a 25 percent decrease in deaths attributed to painkiller overdoses.

A better neighbor would be taking them food. Such was my experience when I was very ill. My wife’s LDS church members came to our house for weeks with food as I recovered. That is how you treat people who are ill.

Richland

This story was originally published November 5, 2015 at 7:05 PM with the headline "Letter: Neighbors shouldn’t shut down medical marijuana grows."