Letters to the Editor

Tips for writing letters-to-the-editor on medical marijuana and the presidential campaign

Letters-to-the-editor are a great way to encourage the presidential candidates and fellow New Hampshire residents to take action on medical marijuana. View a complete listing of New Hampshire newspapers that have e-mail addresses.

Tips for writing effective letters-to-the-editor

Brevity is essential. Limits on length typically vary from 150 to 300 words, but it is always advisable to stay close to 150. Be short, clear, and succinct. Make one or two points, and then stop. Excessively long letters will either get tossed without being read or will be edited so severely you may not recognize your own work. When in doubt, simplify!

Always include your full name, address, and phone number(s). Generally only your name and city will be published, but most newspapers do call to verify letters.

Respond quickly to articles, columns, or other letters published by the paper. Now that most letters are submitted by e-mail, responses are often published in a day or two. Letters responding to something that has been in the paper are more likely to be published than ones discussing issues the newspaper hasnt covered.

Don't send too many letters to the same paper.

Most newspapers get many more letters (and op-ed submissions) than they have space to print. Don't assume that you or your issue are on some sort of blacklist because they didnt publish something you sent. Wait and try again.

If sending your letter by e-mail, do not send it as an attachment. Because attachments can carry computer viruses, many newspapers have programs that block all e-mails that have attachments. Paste the text into the e-mail itself.

Some points you can mention in your letters

Medical marijuana is a popular issue. Polls have consistently shown high levels of public support. An October 2005 national Gallup poll found that 78 percent of Americans favor "making marijuana legally available for doctors to prescribe in order to reduce pain and suffering."
Studies show that many patients suffering with HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, cancer and chemotherapy, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and other debilitating illnesses find that marijuana provides relief from their symptoms.
The Bush administration has sent Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents with automatic weapons to arrest sick and dying people and their caregivers for medical marijuana. Candidates should promise to end this cruel war on the sick and to protect medical marijuana patients from the threat of arrest and jail.
With the federal government deep in debt and currently engaged in deficit spending, tax money should be used to pursue violent criminals and terrorists, not medical marijuana patients.
Cocaine, morphine, and methamphetamines may all be legally administered to patients — so why not marijuana, which has a far lower rate of dependency and on which no one has ever overdosed?
Many of the legal pharmaceutical alternatives proposed by opponents of medical marijuana are too expensive, too addictive, and have too many side effects to be the best choice for all patients.
A chemotherapy patient who is too nauseated to swallow a pill or eat may be able to smoke marijuana for relief.
Ultimately, the decision of which medicine is best for an illness should be left up to a patient and his or her doctor, not to the government. In his January 23, 2007 State of the Union address, President Bush said, "We must remember that the best health care decisions are not made by government and insurance companies, but by patients and their doctors."
When they have their doctors' approval, patients should be able to use medical marijuana without fear of arrest and imprisonment. They should also be able to rely on a safe supply of marijuana, without having to resort to the dangerous illegal market.