CANDY IS DANDY, BUT NOT TO THE FEDS

Editor -- Edible forms of marijuana, such as the candies seized by the
Drug Enforcement Administration in the East Bay, provide important
benefits to medical-marijuana patients ("Bitter fight over sweet pot
treats," March 18). Some patients prefer not to smoke, and many may
need to medicate at times and places where smoking or using a
vaporizer would be inappropriate or even impossible.

If the feds object to parody candy labels that might be attractive to
children, this is the sort of issue that could be easily addressed
through regulation. But instead of working with states such as
California to sensibly regulate medical marijuana, the federal
government insists on pretending there is no such thing -- and
treating those helping AIDS and cancer patients as if they were common
drug dealers.

This is crazy. It's time for California's congressional delegation to
take a united stand against such a nonsensical waste of our federal
tax dollars.

BRUCE MIRKEN

Director of Communications

Marijuana Policy Project

Washington