GOVERNMENT SHOULDN'T BLOCK MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES

The May 2 letter, "Pot last thing a sick person needs," ranted about the
evils and dangers of marijuana use as a medicine. The author cites almost
all of the myths about marijuana (which have been disproven) as reasons to
make medical marijuana illegal.

It is blisteringly obvious the writer of this letter has no understanding
of the beneficial effects that marijuana has on sick and dying AIDS and
cancer patients. This medicine was used for thousands of years in North
America before right-wing fundamentalists labelled it "Devil Weed" and
started a century of prohibition. If we have learned anything from alcohol
prohibition it is that making ANY substance illegal creates a black market
where the drug is still easily obtainable. It also brings the risk of
organized crime into play.

So why is marijuana still prohibited and alcohol, a far more dangerous
drug, is not? Marijuana causes zero deaths a year, it doesn't cause immune
system degradation, and it most certainly doesn't lead to harder drugs.

To deny the sick medicine the government says is illegal is a great folly.
Just because 100 years ago there were wild and unfounded claims on the harm
marijuana can do, is no reason to keep it from those who can truly benefit
from it.

Theo Cole,

Edmonton