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.

Jerry Sutliff