"REEFER MADNESS" HIDES THE TRUTH

We struggle to connect with teens as parents, teachers and mentors.
Continuing to teach the "Reefer Madness" of Assemblywoman Mary Pat
Angelini's Jan. 22 commentary, "New medical marijuana law will
increase teen drug use," will only further disconnect our teens from
the truth: Marijuana is medicine.

We bury thousands of people each year, teens included, from overdosing
on prescription narcotics. I am tired of watching New Jersey residents
die from drugs doctors freely prescribe. I'm thankful and fortunate
enough to use medical marijuana to treat my multiple sclerosis and it
always stops there. The federal government needs to change it from a
Schedule I to a Schedule II drug in the Controlled Substances Act.
This alone will save lives.

Our children need to know marijuana truly is medicine, that it's used
to treat sick people and it is not a recreational drug. It is not fun
living with MS. Someday, they too may be sick and science will show it
can be used to treat many new illnesses.

Don't get me wrong -- I have three young daughters of my own to bring
up in this dangerous society, but it is not any more dangerous because
of medical marijuana when the facts are understood by both parents and
their children. Angelini hurts overall teen prevention efforts every
time she speaks against legal medical marijuana.

Charles Kwiatkowski

Hazlet