My experience shows why medical marijuana makes sense, by cancer survivor Dennis Acton

By Dennis Action
Published: Monday, July 06, 2009

I am a cancer survivor and medical marijuana activist — and a Republican. I am being featured in a 30 second ad on WMUR telling about my experience when I was fighting cancer.

Doing this ad has been pretty traumatic. The last thing I wanted to do is become a poster boy for this movement, especially as a Republican. My wife is horrified, my friends are asking what the heck I am doing, and the true impact of going on TV and admitting drug use has yet to play out.

As a committed Republican activist, it has not been easy coming forward and describing my experience with cancer and medical marijuana. I kept quiet for years after I successfully used marijuana to relieve my nausea when expensive prescription drugs had failed. I didn’t want this on my medical records, and I certainly didn’t want everyone to know that I had to break the law to find an effective treatment.

I only recently came forward because I strongly believe that HB 648, which recently passed the N.H. House and Senate, should become law in New Hampshire. The bill would create the most tightly crafted medical marijuana law in the country, and it will probably be used as a model for other states that want to allow access but are concerned about ensuring accountability and security. All legitimate concerns about how the cultivation and dispensation of marijuana can be controlled are addressed in the final version of the bill, which will soon make its way to Gov. John Lynch’s desk.

Unfortunately, most Republican leaders have been unwilling to reconsider our party’s longstanding opposition to medical marijuana. A large majority of Republicans I have spoken to are in favor of the bill, yet our leaders have dismissed the effort entirely.