PAY ATTENTION TO SCRIPTURE

It seems to me Dr. Ted Beam, senior pastor, should pay a little more
attention to the actual wording of scripture. The verses that are being
referred to in his letter, "Medical Against legalized Marijuana, Sun. Sept.
3, 2006," are Gen: 1 verses 29-31. It states "GREEN, SEED bearing HERBS,"
depending on what version of the Bible you are reading.

I didn't know poison ivy and many other poisonous plants were seed bearing
"herbs." I don't know of an herb that is greener or produces more seeds
than the cannabis hemp plant (also known as marijuana). I am surprised that
Beam condemns God-created mind-altering substances that he doesn't
understand, and condones man created synthetics. Like it or not, God
created pot.

In February of 1983, I returned home after four very good years in the
United States Submarine Force to find my grandfather dying of cancer. Early
one spring morning, I received a phone call from my grandmother asking me
if I knew where she could find some marijuana. I was very shocked and
surprised. Then she went on to explain why.

A doctor had told her that marijuana might help my grandfather's appetite.
My grandmother would allow my grandfather one hand rolled Bull Durham
cigarette a day. She started adding small amounts of marijuana to his
cigarette. I will never forget the excitement in her voice the next time
she called me, which was the very next day, stating that my grandfather had
eaten five times since the day before and hadn't thrown up once.

It was less than three weeks and my grandfather was able to get out of bed,
the same bed the doctors were saying he would never get out of again, and
eat at the table. It wasn't very long until my grandfather was able to walk
outside and enjoy his beautiful garden he had spent the better part of 40
years creating.

Marijuana was allowing the medicines that were able to save his life to
stay in his stomach to do the job they were meant to do. I don't care what
or how many pills you take, they cannot work if they keep being thrown up.
Bottom line, munchies save lives!

There are synthetic marijuanas being created, but no one can make it better
than God.

I have two questions for Dr. Ted Beam.

Is he going to go out and start smoking marijuana if it becomes legal? I'm
sure his answer would be "no." My second question is, then why does Beam
think everyone else will? Education and regulation is the answer, not
prohibition and incarceration.

The Rev. Meril Draper

Brinnon, Wash.