GIVE TERMINALLY ILL POT

I write to protest the recent House resolution regarding the medicinal use
of marijuana (``House condemns efforts to make medical pot legal'' - Sept.
16). Evidence of marijuana's usefulness for terminal cancer and AIDS'
patients abounds. Evidence that marijuana is no more, and in fact, less
harmful than tobacco and alcohol, also abounds.

Yet this evidence is regularly ignored simply because it does not jibe with
policy. Let's not kid ourselves: Policy exists because it produces the two
things most politicians crave the most - power and money. The most recent
antics involving the tobacco tax bear witness to this.

But why are we so concerned about terminal patients becoming addicted to
anything? These people are dying in a horrible way and consuming chemicals
much more detrimental to their systems than any street drug, including
marijuana, just to try to combat their illnesses for even one more day. If
any drug, legal or otherwise, gives these people comfort, give it to them!

If anyone is concerned with the message this would send to teen-agers,
think about what the present message is: Relieving human suffering is not
nearly as important as maintaining allegiance to a dogma-driven policy
based upon fear and ignorance. Isn't that a great thing to teach children?

David Harris

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski