MORPHINE AND MARIJUANA

A proposal to legalize marijuana for medical purposes hasn't even made the
ballot in Oregon yet, but Sen. Gordon Smith has already staked out his
position as the leading opponent. He reiterated his opposition in Eugene
Tuesday, warning that medical marijuana sends the wrong message to children
and would be the first step toward an anything-goes drug policy.

It's worth bearing in mind that doctors routinely prescribe morphine, an
opium derivative that is far more dangerous than marijuana, without opening
the door to drug legalization and without confusing the anti-drug messages
directed at children.

Smith and others may be correct in saying that some activists are using
medical marijuana as a vehicle to advance a larger agenda relating to drug
policy. But classing marijuana with heroin and cocaine, while denying
potentially beneficial medical uses, does more to undercut the credibility
of current drug policy than pro-marijuana activists ever could.