ANTI-DRUG HYPOCRISY

I admire the city of Oakland officials who are protecting their local
cannabis club from existing federal drug laws by declaring club members
"officers of the city." This farsighted action will enable those with health
conditions to get medical marijuana, which was the will of 56 percent of the
voters of Proposition 215.

But let's face reality. This declaration will most likely be challenged by
Lungren's office and denounced by drug czar McCaffrey and his federal
colleagues. They will do everything in their power to shut down the cannabis
clubs and discourage people from thinking of cannabis as medicine.

If the people of California want to fully implement Proposition 215, we must
change the federal laws and views on medical marijuana. A starting point
would be to petition President Clinton to remove cannabis from the Schedule
1 list of controlled substances. It is ludicrous to have a medically
beneficial drug such as marijuana under the same classification as heroin or
cocaine.

- --David J. Kesich, Carmichael

Checked-by: Rolf Ernst