LEGALIZATION SOLVES 'MEDICAL POT' PROBLEM

PALM HARBOR, Fla. -- Columnist George Will understands the dynamics of
prohibition when he says that "legalization of medical marijuana may be
more socially destructive than full legalization" ("Drop 'medical' from
medical pot laws," Page D2, Nov. 29)

The same thing happened with medicinal alcohol during alcohol prohibition
in the 1920s. At the time, there was lots of quibbling about which medical
conditions required how much of what kind of alcohol. It was like a
conversation about how many angels can stand on the head of a pin, and it
created disrespect for the law.

But we must get patients out of the drug war. The best way is to legalize
pot. Decriminalization is not a compromise because it would do nothing to
end the street market.

When pot has the legal status of beer, patients can have it without concern
that they -- or their docs -- might be arrested for a questionable medical
diagnosis or for using "too much" or the wrong kind of pot.

John Chase

Palm Harbor, FL