David Evans' Speaking Up column opposing medical marijuana was an exercise
in distortion and fabrication.

Polls taken during the election campaign clearly showed that voters did not
approve of unregulated marijuana use. Listing organizations that have
failed to endorse medical marijuana does not make a convincing point as
those bodies hardly speak for every member, let alone every physician. In
addition, several have noted that cannabis shows promise as medicine and
favor more studies.

Research on immune system suppression is inconclusive and becomes
inconsequential when human patients are studied under clinical conditions.
In fact, all of the immense dangers pointed out by Evans are so far removed
from the context of the original studies that his evidence crumbles when
real- world conditions are observed.

No drug use, medical or recreational is without harm. These harms must be
examined in proper context as when one weighs the question: Do we really need
to imprison doctors and patients to send the right message to children?

John M. Koons,
Sayreville