SUPPORTING DATA LACKING

Re: "A ruling for the people," by Judy Kreamer, Cyberletters, May 20.

Judy Kreamer pronounces a horrid list of maladies caused by THC, the
active ingredient in marijuana, but, like most such critics, provides
us with no supporting data.

By simply checking the information on the Internet
(www.drugwarfacts.org), readers can easily see that deaths from legal
drugs, alcohol and tobacco surpass 500,000 annually. Deaths from
FDA-approved drugs (those approved in the "proper" manner as
suggested by Ms. Kreamer) exceed 40,000 annually.

Deaths from cannabis use are ZERO annually.

In addition she implies that a large number of emergency room
admissions were for "marijuana/hashish," and cites three categories
as reasons.

Anyone who has ever smoked marijuana knows the following:

1) It may indeed produce "unexpected reactions." However, excessive
smiling, giggling and an increased interest in lava lamps do not
promote a conclusion that it is dangerous.

2) A marijuana overdose simply means excessive intake, but as noted
above it is never fatal, though it may result in the dreaded
"munchies."

3) A person who wishes to detox from marijuana intake merely needs to
sleep for a few hours, after which any psychotropic effects are
totally dissipated.

Finally, it should be noted that Ms. Kreamer clearly believes that a
cancer patient should be in a jail cell rather than be allowed access
to marijuana recommended by his physician.

Thinking like that seems far more dangerous than smoking any quantity
of marijuana, medical or otherwise.

Manny Lovitto, Largo, Fla.