Dear editor,

Admittedly the federal government must be embarrassed about its real reasons
for opposing medical marijuana, but can't they come up with anything better
than "marijuana smoke is carcinogenic." (21 July 1999). Tobacco cigarette
tokers are legal and pay their taxes. So, why can't marijuana tokers, the
well and the unwell alike, be allowed to do the same?

Let's support Vasconcellos' and Lockyer's recommendations, with all its
problems, for what it is, a good faith effort to realize the goals of
Proposition 215.