During a monthly meeting of the University's College Democrats, the members welcomed the discussion of an influential side of health care.\0x202C
The organization accepted a request from Christopher Butts and Ron Crompton of the Alabama Medical Marijuana Coalition to speak Sept. 27.
AMMC supports a bill that would legalize the use of medical marijuana in Alabama and protect the citizens who use it.
AMMC's goal is to get its bill, modeled from Americans for Safe Access's bill, passed as soon as possible.
"Our fight is to protect people like us, who will and are benefiting from (the use of marijuana)," said Christopher Butts, co-president and chairman of the board of directors for AMMC.
Ron Crumpton, co-president and executive director of AMMC, wants to make it clear the organization is only for the protection of the citizens who will benefit from the medical marijuana license.
"We are not for the general legalization of marijuana," Crumpton said. "We are all about providing safe access."
Jacob Dean, president of College Democrats, said this issue directly affects his organization's members.
"One of our members has Crohn's disease and would benefit greatly from the legalization of medical marijuana," Dean said.
Dean believes there are other good reasons for the legalization of medical marijuana.
"Our prisons are overcrowded, under-funded and the state is going bankrupt right now," Dean said. "Medical marijuana could greatly benefit our state financially."
AMMC brought its ideas to Auburn's campus for the basic fact of gaining supporters, said Butts.
"We're going anywhere to find people like College Democrat members that will help support this legislation and help us get the word out," Butts said. "We need everyone to talk to people in their circle of influence and outside their circle of influence, and let them know that this legislation is up."
Dean believes Auburn, as well as other college campuses, are the perfect place to find politically involved individuals.
"Students are much more aggressive for these types of policies, whether it's homosexual marriage, medical marijuana or the war policy," Dean said. "Even Auburn would be a favorite supporter of the medical marijuana."
The reasoning behind Butts' and Crompton's advocacy for the legalization of medical marijuana stems from their rough pasts.
"I've suffered from a back injury since 1992," Butts said. "A lot of the pills the doctors gave me were to counteract the first three pills I was put on. And before I knew it, I was taking 10 pills a day."
Butts' addiction cost him a lot more than the money in his pocket.
"I eventually lost a job, a marriage and relationships with my children, who are grown now," Butts said.
Crompton suffered from a fractured vertebra that then developed into spinal stenosis and caused him to develop ulcers from all the pills he was prescribed.
"Having one major medical condition to deal with turned into two because of the pills given to me because of my first problem," Crompton said. "I developed more problems, including chronic nausea."
Both turned to marijuana to escape the clutch of prescription pills.
"These pills that the doctors had me on propel you into the deepest, darkest depression you could ever think of," Crompton said. "If it was not for my son, I would not be here right now."
Butts argued marijuana is safer because it is a botanical plant.
"It's just like rosemary," Butts said. "Botanical herbs are not approved by the FDA as drugs. Marijuana should be given that same thing."
Dean hopes to spread the word on the medical, not recreational, uses of marijuana to help the bill pass.
"I didn't know medical marijuana had all those uses, so if more people could learn about the uses, not the recreational use, but the medical, then a lot more people would be aware and able to support this bill," Dean said.
For more information on AMMC visit its website at ammjc.org.
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