LOOK BEYOND THE STATS AT DANGER OF MARIJUANA

I want to quote from a letter by Tyler Duncan: "Over 300 Montanans
die from prescription drug overdose each year. None die from
marijuana overdosage." To which I say, statistics never lie, but
liars twist statistics.

None die from marijuana overdose at the time of smoking. But at every
smoking, cannabinoid residues are deposited in the liver. They can be
detected by liver biopsy in the area of cirrhosis at 80 years old and
90 years old if the smoker is still with us. These cannabinoid cysts
irritate the liver and can transmogrify into cancer.

Treatment for mild cirrhosis to end-stage liver disease can cost any
individual's pocketbook sorely. The ability of the public health
system to cope with marijuana's consequences is sorry due to being
already overburdened with alcoholic liver disease. No store vending
marijuana is devoting a percentage of their profits to support of this
future public health impact. An old but reliable document says: "Where
there is no vision [of the future-controlling God], the people perish."

So true.

Will Kirkendall

Manhattan