MARIJUANA IS NOT MEDICINE

Regarding her Aug. 9 column, "Canadians sanely euphoric about medicinal
marijuana," Ellen Goodman seems to be suffering from a "contact high" or
perhaps something even more profound.

Marijuana is not a medicine. It is a plant that has many compounds, some
of which have proven to have medical properties. But like the urine of
pregnant mares, frog slime, snake venom, fox glove, and thousands of other
things found in nature, it is not the raw material that is safe and
effective to use. It is the isolated compound that is either extracted or
synthesized and tested for safety and effectiveness, that can be carefully
titrated for the right dose for an individual's medical condition.

Smoking pot just does not cut it. What is does do is accentuate the
placebo effect, a phenomenon which science has found will make about 40
percent of individuals think they are better or cured. Further, marijuana
masks symptoms. Many of those who claim medical necessity haven't even
been to a doctor. They think because their symptoms are alleviated their
medical problems is cured. These people are going untreated and their
immune systems undermined.

Sandra S. Bennett
La Center, Wash.