RISKS OUTWEIGH BENEFITS FOR MARIJUANA SMOKERS

Addressing the article by Lex Alexander, "Should Smoking Marijuana be
a Medical Option?" (Jan. 18), I would like to clarify some facts:

"Based on reviews by the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the
Institute of Medicine and on available scientific evidence, the Task
Force on Complementary Therapies believes that no scientific evidence
has been found that demonstrates increased benefits and/or diminished
risks of marijuana use to treat glaucoma compared with the wide
variety of pharmaceutical agents now available" (www.eyecareamerica.org).

Smoking gets to the brain faster than ingestion, and that is why the
results are felt quicker than oral medication. The reason why more
adolescents use tobacco and alcohol as gateway drugs is because they
are legal and easily accessible.

Marijuana is not safer that oral medication. There are 40 carcinogens
in marijuana. Marijuana is addictive.

I could continue to state many rebuttals to the article. Please
remember that the risks outweigh the benefits. Ask an addict who
started out with "just marijuana."

Julie Westholder

Greensboro