LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR MEDICINAL USE

This letter concerns the editorial, "Smokescreen" (Telegram &
Gazette, June 25) on medical marijuana.

Congress allows the prescription use of THC (Marinol), the primary
active ingredient in marijuana. Congress also allows any adult to
inhale smoke and tar from tobacco. However, patients are not allowed
to inhale THC, smoke and tar from marijuana, even if they are
terminally ill and thus unconcerned about long-term effects on their
lungs.

Does this seem rational?

The federal government knows marijuana is no more hazardous than many
prescription drugs and is in fact safer than many. They have paid for
the research, and in fact, grow and distribute medical marijuana to a
small group of patients. If medical marijuana was legalized, its
relative safety would become known to the public. The jailing of
recreational users would make much less sense, as would the war on
drugs in general, which is primarily a war against marijuana and
people who use it.

PHIN MacDONALD
Medford