MARIJUANA? A WARNING!

After reading Gary Storck of the "Is My Medicine Legal Yet?"
Organization letter on Oct. 23, I realize that proper information
needs to be submitted.

I am against the medical marijuana law here in Oregon for many
reasons, one of which is that it is nothing other than a step towards
legalizing a very dangerous drug, one that needs to be kept from our young.

Marijuana has been around since 1000 B.C. when it was used in India.
It came to the U.S.A. in the early 1900s. In the 1960s it became
prominent and was used by the so-called "potheads" to get high. The
THC factor at that time was around 3%. Today the THC is commonly
around 15 to 18 percent and does go much higher.

In 2002, marijuana was the third most commonly abused drug mentioned
in drug-related hospital emergency visits. One study indicates that a
user's risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour
after smoking marijuana. (For those of you under the influence,
that's four times.)

Marijuana also has the potential to promote cancer. Marijuana smoke
contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco
smoke. This means marijuana may increase the risk of cancer more than
smoking tobacco.

It is true that smoking marijuana can help relieve the effects of
chemo on cancer patients and can build an appetite in HIV and AIDS
patients. But giving a cancer causing drug to a cancer patient and a
cancer causing drug to an AIDS patient makes as much sense as playing
Russian roulette with a fully loaded gun.

There is a drug that takes the place of marijuana. It is called
Marinol or Dronabinol and it was designed to be used in the place of
smoking marijuana. It is a cloned synthetic THC with no known health
risks. It even comes in three strengths. It is not carcinogenic and
you do not get stoned.

With smoking marijuana you are impaired every time you use it and it
stays in your system for 24 hours or longer. Smoke one-a-day and you
are always under the influence.

Every politician, including our well informed governor needs to be
charged with a federal crime for allowing this fiasco to go on. Our
young kids deserve better than being told that marijuana has a useful
place in our society.

Larry Crompton

Scio