LETTERS RE: S.F.'S PLAN ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Letters re: S.F.'s Plan on Medical Marijuana

Re "Duel Over Medical Pot Escalates," March 17: I applaud San Francisco
Dist. Atty. Terence Hallinan's generous and compassionate position on the
medical marijuana question. This is particularly impressive considering his
position as the city's figurehead of law enforcement. Hallinan demonstrates
an admirable understanding of what Shakespeare meant when he wrote,
"Earthly power doth then show likest God's, when mercy seasons justice."

STEVE KNIGHT
Rosemead

In your article on San Francisco's propensity to oppose the state and
federal governments in health matters, you note its support for needle
exchange programs, beginning in 1992, long before they were legally
accepted. In 1997, the National Institutes of Health issued a consensus
statement on "Interventions to Prevent HIV Risk Behaviors." It stated that
needle exchange programs cause powerful beneficial effects, reducing both
HIV and drug abuse, and that "there can be no opposition to these programs
on scientific grounds." Perhaps our northern neighbors know a lot more than
we give them credit for when it comes to protecting their citizens.

J. THOMAS UNGERLEIDER MD
Los Angeles