LEGALIZE POT

George Will's column on medical marijuana suggests that good
intentions are not enough to get relief to sick people. No law, for
instance, can say conclusively who defines "sick," or even what that
word means.

So how do we get relief to patients? Full legalization would be strong
medicine, but the only way to avoid chaos. Put pot on the same legal
basis as beer, but lose the ads.

Legalization would clear the air of the ignorance and distortions
displayed by both sides of the war on pot. If it were legal, we would
see unbiased research to assess pot's benefits and risks. Then
patients could make informed decisions on whether to smoke, kids
couldn't fake illness to get prescriptions for pot and adults wouldn't
need to.

John Chase, Palm Harbor, Fla.