Write a letter to the editor
Writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper can be a great way to foster discussion about marijuana policy reform. While we have provided this list of talking points, we encourage you to write your own letter, as a personally-crafted message is often the most powerful.
Please submit your letter to only one paper — ideally, one close to you. You can visit this page to view a listing of newspapers in Illinois. We also have a few tips for writing an effective letter.
- Numerous prestigious medical organizations support legal medical marijuana access for the seriously ill, including the American Public Health Association, the American Nurses Association, the Illinois Nurses Association, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
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- Medical marijuana is a popular issue. A 2008 Mason-Dixon statewide poll in Illinois showed that 68% of voters "support allowing seriously and terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it."
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- Studies have shown that marijuana relieves debilitating symptoms including nausea, appetite loss, and severe pain. It has been shown to increase the chances that HIV/AIDs and hepatitis C patients will stay on life-saving medications.
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- Chemotherapy patients who are too nauseated to eat or swallow a pill should not have to fear arrest if they — and their doctors — find that smoking marijuana is the most effective means of treating their symptoms.
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- Marijuana has never caused a single medically documented overdose death — unlike Tylenol, which causes about 500 overdose deaths a year in the U.S. alone.
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- Many of the legal alternatives proposed by opponents of medical marijuana are too expensive, too addictive, and have too many side effects to be good medicine for all patients.
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- Many otherwise illegal substances, such as Oxycontin and morphine, can legally be prescribed by doctors. The same should be true for marijuana, which is less dangerous and addictive than either of these substances.
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- Our state should use tax money to prosecute violent crime, not punish medical marijuana users.
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- Ultimately, the decision of what medicine is best for an illness should be left up to the patient and the doctor, not to police and prosecutors.
- This is not a partisan issue; it is a compassion issue.
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- When they have their doctors' approval, patients should be able to use medical marijuana without fear of arrest and imprisonment.
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Tips for writing an effective letter
1) Keep it short and simple
Papers generally won't print anything longer than 150-200 words. It's best to make one point well, rather than trying to make every point possible. By only making one point at a time, you save your other arguments for future letters.
2) Check your spelling and grammar
Not only are newspapers more likely to print a letter containing no errors, having a spelling or grammar mistake plays into the stereotypes embraced by the opposition. We'd be glad to look over your letter if you'd like.
3) Say only what you know is factually true
Science, math, and reason are on our side; there's no need to make false claims or exaggerations. If you are unsure, check our library or ask us.
4) If possible, respond to a recent story in a timely manner
Papers are generally more likely to publish letters that are in response to recent stories, especially letters than are submitted shortly after the stories were published.
Feel free to contact us if you'd like help with your letter.
