DIFFERING PERCEPTIONS OF CONTENDERS FOR GOVERNOR

So gubernatorial candidate Dan Lungren thinks his opponent, Gray Davis,
might have taken the medical marijuana initiative "too seriously" ("Lungren
yells at Davis across gap in the polls," Oct. 25).

Lungren might be surprised to know that 56 percent of California voters
also took Proposition 215 seriously enough to make it the law of the land.

Over 5 million voters approved medical marijuana in 1996, and drug use
among adolescents has gone down since its passage.

We expect elected officials -- even Attorney General Lungren -- to obey our
laws and to do their jobs.

The attorney general is charged with enforcing and defending state laws
from all attacks, including from the federal government.

Since 1996 Lungren has instead used his office to undermine the will of the
voters, to collude with the drug czar's staff to thwart the availability of
this medicine.

I wish Gray Davis had the courage to adopt the medical marijuana
constituency and campaign on this issue.

Nonetheless, I hope voters take this election as an opportunity to turn out
in record numbers to toss Lungren into the trash bin of history.

Chris Conrad, Family Council on Drug Awareness, El Cerrito