MARIJUANA IS AN OVERWHELMING DETRIMENT

I must completely disagree with Shayne Felberg ("Oppression keeps
marijuana illegal," March 3) and all those who want to push the
legalization of marijuana upon us. But my disagreement carries little
weight.

The Augusta Medical Examiner wrote about marijuana in its April 20,
2007, issue. Clinical exams and research concluded that marijuana
impairs short-term memory; impairs attention, judgment and other
cognitive functions; increases heart rate; can lead to addiction; and
increases risk of chronic cough, bronchitis and emphysema. It also
increases risk of cancer of the head, neck and lungs.

The Drug Abuse Warning Network that monitors the health impact of
drugs estimated in 2002 that marijuana was a contributing factor in
some 119,000 emergency calls. The National Institution of Justice's
Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program found 41 percent of arrestees
tested positive for marijuana.

The National Institute for Drug Abuse and the Epidemiology Work Group
researchers consistently report that marijuana "frequently is combined
with other drugs such as crack cocaine, PCP, formaldehyde and codeine
cough syrup without the users being aware of it."

Also: "Research findings for long-term marijuana abuse indicate some
changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term use of
other major drugs."

In addition to all of this, marijuana is illegal, and the law is
trying to save you from doing stupid things!

Gil Ward

Evans