DON'T LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

Legalize marijuana? Simply don't do it. House Bill 1303 would allow the
legalization of marijuana. It falls under the guise of medicinal usage.
This is medically and scientifically incoherent. Leaders of the
legalization movement have been funded from the pockets of three
individuals. One billionaire and two multimillionaires have already spent
millions of dollars across the nation to place initiatives and bills on the
ballot of all states. They disguise their concerns as compassion for
suffering patients when in fact the concerns of these individuals lie in
their desire to legalize any form of illegal drug so that the door may
become open to legalization of all drugs.

Scientific research has shown little or no medical benefits of smoked
marijuana. In fact, the only findings suggest a need for more research.
Marijuana proponents ... play on the compassion of others to gather
support. Indeed, there may be limited medicinal benefit of cannabinoids,
but science suggests it becomes useful only in the non-smoked form, such as
through delivery of the prescribed dosage of Marinol. Throughout history,
Americans have not voted on which pain reliever to take or which antibiotic
to legalize. This has been left off of ballots and placed in the hands of
the FDA, scientists and medical professionals who are competent to make
such decisions, not governmental bureaucrats. Let's not start now.

If there were significant benefits to using smoked marijuana, don't you
think the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries would be champing at the
bit to develop this proposition?

GREG HOGGATT Lowell