MARIJUANA: LEGALIZE IT TO END PROBLEMS

The Sunday Oregonian sounds the alarm about medical marijuana being
out of control ("A smoke screen for criminals?," Oct. 21). You state,
"The explosive growth of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program . . .
also has provoked extensive abuse."

But I see the 14,831 registered patients as free from arrest for
treating their ailments with a plant under their doctor's
recommendation.

I don't sneer at those suffering from "common afflictions," just
because their pain or disability doesn't come with chemotherapy or a
wheelchair.

The reason that there are any criminals with medical marijuana is the
absurd 70-year prohibition of a relatively harmless, mildly euphoric
weed. Oregon alone spends $61.5 million per year on a prohibition that
hasn't discouraged use or inhibited production, makes marijuana worth
more than gold, and subjects patients to black markets and thefts.

Marijuana's not going away; 300,000 healthy Oregonians like to use it,
too. Regulate marijuana and tax it like hard liquor and the crime
problem disappears, and our police can concentrate on real crime.

Russ Belville

Associate director, Oregon NORML

Beaverton