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