Waterloo Courier
P.O. Box 540
Waterloo, IA 50704
September 18, 1996

Letters to the Editor
Liked marijuana story
      WATERLOO -- I wish to thank the staff of the Courier for the article in Wednesday's August 28th paper on Allen Helmers.  It is very important that the public be informed of the facts.  We all know someone who may have, or still could benefit from using marijuana as medicine.
        We trust our doctors to prescribe the best medicine for our ailments, but when the best medicine is illegal and unavailable, we are forced to use medicine that can cause severe side effects creating new problems that must be treated.  Where is the sense in all of this?  If a seriously ill patient has a legitimate medical necessity, that patient should be certified and be exempted from criminal prosecution by the state of Iowa.
        Again, thank you very much.  I hope that in the future the Courier will continue to publish the truth on controversial issues that affect all of us, so that we may be informed of the facts and make judgment accordingly.
        DENISE CASELLA
        Iowans for Medical Marijuana