'SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP'

In response to April Susky's March 24 letter denigrating Sen. Loren
Leman regarding Senate Bill 94, she's the one who needs to "sit down
and shut up" and perhaps educate herself. The tone of her letter tells
me that no time has been taken to read the current results of a study,
requested by Barry McCafferty in January 1977, completed March 16,
1999. There are six points to this study. I will give a synopsis of
two; she can search for the rest:

1. Little future in smoked cannabinoids because it delivers other
harmful substances including most of those found in tobacco. Poor
delivery system for chronic disease.

2. Cannabinoids are used as system management, not cures. Evidence
indicates cannabinoids reduce vomiting in only 25 percent of patients
receiving chemotherapy. They are not as effective as other agents.
Least promising categories are movement disorders, epilepsy and
glaucoma. Unfortunately, my daughter was not one of the 25 percent who
was helped by cannabinoid pills (this is the true pharmacopeia as far
as I am concerned). Morphine barely helping near the end.

Now, if Susky feels more qualified to spout forth after reading the
reports by Dr. John A. Benson, president emeritus of the American
Board of Internal medicine, and Dr. Stanley J. Watson, co-director and
senior research scientist at the Mental Health Research Institute,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, I suggest she apply for their positions.

Oh, by the way, pipe dreams are deceiving.

Ellen L. Onstott
Anchorage