You have a chance to spotlight medical marijuana in the upcoming election for the replacement of Congressman Portman (2nd district). There will be a Republican Forum at the end of this week at which questions submitted in advance by constituents will be posed to the candidates.

A large number of people submitting thoughtful questions will increase the chance of medical marijuana being discussed, and make the candidates aware that patients' rights and compassionate use are issues that voters in Ohio care about.

If you do not live in the Second District, please pass this on to your friends and family in southwest Ohio. Click here to see the location of District 2.

Submissions must be received by Friday, May 20, and must be sent by mail to:

REPUBLICAN FORUM, 7032 East Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45236.

The rules for submission are as follows:

All questions, limited to 75 words or less, may be a general question or can be addressed to a specific candidate or candidates and must include the constituent's name, address, phone number and/or email address for contact purposes.  Any question that does not contain the constituent's contact information will not be considered.

Here are a couple of sample questions to get you started:

• Do you support the continued prohibition of marijuana for medicinal purposes, even though it can provide relief for chronic pain patients who don't respond to traditional painkillers or are allergic to traditional painkillers, and help keep cancer and AIDS patients from starving to death?
  
  
• Do you support the federal law that prohibits a  person from even mentioning the words "medical marijuana" in his or her defense in court?

If you have questions about this forum, or to learn about future forums in your area, please email Rob Ryan of the Ohio Patient Network at rrr@robryan.org. You can also call Rob at 888-385-2843.