MEDICAL MARIJUANA HELPS

AS a medical marijuana user, I'm getting tired of hearing so-called medical
experts such as Redwood City police officer David Davinroy slamming medical
marijuana as a hoax (Letters, Nov. 14).

Davinroy further states that Marinol is a effective drug. It can be
effective, but when someone has severe nausea, keeping the pills down is
very difficult if not impossible. And there is the high cost --
approximately $10 per pill for those without insurance.

Medical marijuana is much more effective at relieving nausea and vomiting
than Marinol. The relief happens within minutes compared with up to two
hours for Marinol. For many patients, marijuana is the only drug that
provides relief. To deny the sick and dying a drug that is safe and
effective is the height of cruelty.

Davinroy is part of an organization, DARE, that despite spending millions
of dollars, has failed in its goal of having a drug-free youth. Of course
he's going to parrot the party line that marijuana isn't medicine. DARE's
funding is dependent on keeping up the anti-drug hysteria. I find it
offensive that they're scapegoating the sick and dying in order to keep the
money rolling in for their organization.

Medicine should be practiced by doctors, not law enforcement or anti-drug
organizations.

Lynn Waltz
Fremont