| Arkansans for Compassionate Care |
Arkansans for Compassionate Care, the committee behind Issue 5, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act, will soon announce a growing coalition of more than 70 Arkansas physicians who have endorsed the measure. The campaign plans to hold a press conference to discuss the support for Issue 5 among physicians in the coming days.
“As physicians, we appreciate the suffering patients endure,” said Dr. Marvin Singleton, past president of the Missouri State Medical Association and now a resident of Fayetteville. “Marijuana is well known within the medical community to alleviate the suffering of patients with MS, cancer, Crohn’s Disease and other serious illnesses.
“If a doctor believes that a patient could benefit from the use of medical marijuana, neither the doctor nor the patient should face criminal penalties for pursuing that relief,” Dr. Singleton said. “Issue 5 is a compassionate measure. Moreover, it has been drafted to ensure that only seriously ill patients will qualify to use medical marijuana. I encourage all voters to support it.”
The endorsing physicians signed statements of support containing the following language:
Licensed medical practitioners should not be punished for recommending the medical use of marijuana to seriously ill people, and seriously ill people should not be subject to criminal sanctions for using marijuana if the patients’ medical professionals have told them that such use is likely to be beneficial.
Arkansans for Compassionate Care
Arkansans for Compassionate Care is a coalition of concerned physicians, patients, and allies who agree that sick and dying patients should have access to medical marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation.
For thousands of chronically-ill Arkansans, the pain and nausea relief afforded by marijuana helps them live comfortably without harmful side effects. But marijuana is currently unregulated and not legally available.
Arkansans for Compassionate Care offers a better choice: controlled access to a medicine that is proven to be both safe and effective, especially against the debilitating effects of chronic illness and harsh medical treatments.
For more information, please visit www.arcompassion.com.
