CAMPOS OVERLOOKS MARIJUANA'S DANGERS

Professor Paul Campos needs to look at the lives that have been
inextricably altered by using marijuana before writing about the
"irrationality of pot paranoia" (May 19).

The 1999 Drug Abuse Warning Network survey of 134 hospital emergency
departments showed that 14,790 marijuana/hashish patients were treated for
unexpected reactions, 9,072 were treated for overdoses, and 7,737 for
detox. These numbers come from just 134 emergency departments; what are the
numbers nationwide?

THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana, can cause lung disease,
bacterial and viral infections, brain damage, genetic damage, immune
disorders, increased tumor growth and psychomotor impairment.

The Supreme Court recently held that "marijuana has no currently accepted
medical use." Medical practices should not be determined by ballot
initiatives. Medicine should be approved by the FDA using quality standards
and controlled dosages, not by cannabis buyers' clubs.

Judy Kreamer

President

Educating Voices Inc.

Naperville, Ill.