I am a sociology major at the University of North Texas in Denton.

I have been employed in human services related to abnormal psychology and developmental disabilities.

I worked with a disabled Vietnam veteran who had been shot in the back and was quadriplegic.

He required assistance with all of his basic needs, and I provided him with home health care.

He suffered from painful spasms which were the result of atrophied muscles and retracted tendons.

I witnessed his body convulse as he cried in agony.

He tried painkillers, muscle relaxers, electrical stimulation, and acupressure.

These options proved futile and costly.

His physician suggested smoking marijuana as an analgesic.

The results were impressive, as he completed his physical therapy without any spasms.

I support medical research of marijuana, and the decriminalization of use by citizens diagnosed with terminal, chronic and disabling diseases such as cancer or AIDS.

It does not serve justice to deny suffering patients quality health care.

Christopher Largen

Denton, Texas