MEDICAL MARIJUANA A MISTAKE

For years I have been involved in the " war on drugs." While many
debate the effectivness of our nation's laws and policies in regards
to the fight against drugs, one thing is clear: They are here and it
is a problem that is not getting any better.

In my experiences, I have spoken with many marijuana addicts, both
recovered and not. I have been involved in the seizure of thousands of
marijuana plants in Oregon, and hundreds of pounds of finished
marijuana for sale on the street.

Does anyone remember the old phrase from the early 20th century when
someone was caught with an amount of alcohol " just for medicinal
purposes "? We laugh about that now, but many believed in the early
20th century that there was medicinal value to alcoholic beverages.

There are genuine alternatives that are more effective and less
dangerous to the medical patient for pain control then smoking
marijuana... which by itself can and often does cause the developement
of many health proplems.

According to Dr. Janet Lapey, executive director of Concerned Citizens
for Drug Prevention Inc., The American Medical Association, American
Cancer Society, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the Food and
Drug Administration all testified that marijuana had not been found to
be safe and effective medicine.

Unfortunantly , The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws ( NORML ) would disagree, but their overall objectivity and
motivations should be challenged. In 1979 the director of NORML, Keith
Stroup, told an Emory University audience that his organization would
use the medicinal use of marijuana " as a red herring to give
marijuana a good name." NORML is promoter of measure 67 and is working
to defeat measure 57. Their long range goal is clear... the total
legalization of this dangeruos drug.

There are hundreds of other hard-core drug addicts I have spoken with,
hooked on harder drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine.

I have never met one who told me that they had not used marijuana
before becoming hooked on harder drugs. That, by itself, demonstrates
the hideous nature of this drug.

Next time you hear or see some advertisement or news clip advocating
the legalization of marijuana where there is a medical patient taking
a hit from a pipe or a joint, telling you that this is the only way
their pain can be reliieved, ask yourself why that patient wasn't
simply prescribed an even more effective substitute that had fewer
side effects.

Surely it would be easier on the persons lungs if nothing else. Or
perhaps ask who financed that commercial on TV and why they did. Or
ask yourself how much of a victim you would feel like if a person
crashed into you or your family while driving down the road, coming
from the marijuana store in town.

Checked-by: Don Beck