LETTER WAS REALLY 'FAR OUT'

MIKE PLYLAR'S Sept. 7 letter was really "far out" from what ought to be
acceptable as truth. He argues that marijuana has "proven" medicinal
properties like treating depression. I'm not a doctor, but that doesn't
seem to accord with the medical community which believes the reverse is
true. After a person smokes marijuana, they indeed feel a temporary state
of well-being or euphoria, but this is followed by a much longer period of
feeling burnt out (i.e. depression). Anyone who has some kind of effective
disorder will likely exacerbate their condition by smoking the stuff. I've
heard it argued marijuana is no worse than alcohol, so we should legalize
it. Alcohol also causes us many problems and I'm sure we would likely be
better off without it. We can't improve a bad condition by adding something
supposedly equally as adverse, in much the same way you can't put out a
fire by adding gas to it.

Michael Lee

(Pot advocates say the darnedest things.)