DRUG CAUSES MORE HARM THAN GOOD

To say that marijuana is not a "gateway" drug for more powerful drug
usage is absurd. History clearly reveals that absurdity. Alcohol too,
was a doorway. Its flagrant use rationalized, in many people's minds,
the approval of weed.

Now, the proponents of marijuana consistently point to its medical
benefits. Fine, but the medical benefits of cannabis, in the majority
of cases, does not require smoke inhalation. It can be taken orally in
pill form by all ages who receive a doctor's prescription. It is also
very important for patients to understand that the smoke of marijuana
is more harmful to their respiratory system than that of cigarettes.
What makes cigarette smoke so deadly is in the amount of its daily
inhalation. Marijuana smoke contains far more harmful tars than
tobacco. Both are destructive to health.

I am tired of those who argue for the legalization of this drug into
society. Like most other narcotics that are misused, it has done far
more harm than good. If it does become legal, I can only hope that the
generations that follow us see the futility in drug use for escaping
reality and for recreational indulgence. Perhaps they will be too
preoccupied with having to clean up the obnoxious, drug-induced mess
we have selfishly passed on to them.

Daniel Palmer

Lynnwood