MEDICINAL POT

VENTURA, Calif. -- So Diane C. Orchard-Callecod (Voice, July 31) hears
about one man's alleged addiction to marijuana and she's ready to throw all
sick and dying people in jail for using it to relieve their pain. If she
would apply the same standard to every legal drug, every legal
over-the-counter medicine, every legal cigarette and every alcoholic and
caffeinated beverage that has ever been abused, jails would overflow,
stores would be empty and the black market would be booming.

She also thinks it's terribly sinister that a few wealthy Americans have
contributed millions of dollars to fund successful voter initiatives in
several states. But she evidently thinks it's swell that U.S. and state
governments spend upward of $40 billion a year to keep marijuana illegal,
spread ignorance and fear, and arrest hundreds of thousands.

She also erroneously believes that economics is driving the movement to
make marijuana available as medicine. Nobody is going to get wealthy if
medical marijuana becomes legal. The pharmaceutical companies, prison
industry, law enforcement, anti-drug crusaders and criminals stand to lose
billions.

Jeff Meyers