Dear (Your legislator's name),

There was a thought-provoking question in The Wichita Eagle's online "Opinion Line Extra" recently: "In 2008, California made more than $220 million in tax revenue from medical marijuana. Why isn't the rest of the country doing the same?"

We ask that you seriously consider this question and its ramifications for every Kansas resident dependent in one way or another upon critical state-funded programs or services. (That would be almost all of us.) It seems that every day we hear of new and deeper cuts being made to funding for everything from public safety to public schools to public works. Growing numbers of Kansas residents--including children--are suffering increasing hardships because their "lifeline" programs have been canceled or drastically cut.

According to CNN, Kansas would stand to collect around $6.6 million from a medical marijuana program. Not a huge figure, but now, more than ever, every dollar counts. With proper management, six million dollars could still do a lot of good for Kansas kids if no one else.

With the recent announcement from Attorney General Eric Holder's office that prosecution of patients, caregivers and others operating within state medical marijuana law would cease, the timing for establishment of a reasonable medical marijuana program in Kansas could not be better.

Why not kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, by launching a medical cannabis program for Kansas patients? How could this proposal be anything but a "win, win" for the state, probably even creating much-needed jobs. We beg you, for the sake of your constituents, whose quality of life is slowly deteriorating, to give this controversial but sensible idea some very serious thought and discussion with your colleagues in Topeka.

Thank you for your service to the citizens of Kansas.