LETTER WRITER DEFENDING MEDICAL MARIJUANA 'MISGUIDED'

This letter is in response to Earl Commins' letter ("A change to
medical pot would affect the ill," April 8).

I applaud Mr. Commins for writing his letter, but I believe he is
misguided. There are far too many people who are physically addicted
to marijuana, and many further their addictions by getting
less-than-reputable physicians to write a prescription for the drug.

Mr. Commins should not confuse real medications with tangible benefits
to marijuana. Marijuana is nothing more than a street drug ... I will
say that when I worked at convenience stores in Eureka I was never
worried about the average pot smoker running out of Bud and robbing my
store. That reality is saved for the tweakers ... which Del Norte has
its share of.

Even though pot smokers might be a "gentler" abuser, it is still drug
abuse. What happens when the elderly people Mr. Commins speaks of nod
off from smoking too many bong hits? Their grandkids come on by and
pinch a bud or two and then the next generation of abusers hits the
streets of Del Norte. It is time to regulate and help break the chain
of abuse. Marijuana does not provide pain relief, it provides a type
of comatose effect that is confused as genuine relief of pain.

I am thankful for the proposed change in the ordinance. Medical
marijuana users should consider switching to pharmaceutical marijuana
to get through the off-season. Marinol comes in pill form, tried and
tested, available from a pharmacy, under the control of a physician.

Chris Mancini