MARIJUANA WON'T MAKE MONEY FOR DRUG MAKERS

To the Editor:

You would think I would have learned by now to never believe a word a
politician says. I distinctly remember George Bush spouting off during the
debates on how the federal government needs to acknowledge states' rights.
But, as with everything from the Iraq war to global warming, he once again
"misled" the nation.

Now the federal government wants to be able to prosecute those who use
medicinal marijuana. Even Justice Clarence Thomas, a stalwart Republican,
wrote he could not fathom our forefathers interfering in this matter. I have
listened to all sides of the argument, but I have yet to hear the truth
about why they wish to keep it illegal. As with everything else in our
country today, just follow the money.

A cancer patient receiving chemotherapy now pays approximately $80 per
anti-nausea pill. Many of these patients cannot take the pill, so they must
pay $600 for an injection. Or they could smoke a $1 joint, which they say
actually works better and even helps them regain weight they have lost. Has
anyone noticed that the drug companies are the ones behind keeping marijuana
illegal for medicinal purposes?

Another great argument I hear is how addictive pot is for those who need it
for chronic pain. In the meantime, I go to the mailbox and receive my
monthly morphine from the VA clinic. So now I am to believe that morphine is
less addictive then marijuana?

You cannot patent pot, so drug companies will do whatever it takes to keep
it from us. Maybe when the congressmen who are receiving huge sums of money
from the pharmaceutical companies get cancer themselves, they may understand
that pot does have medicinal purposes.

Then again, our Congress has the best health care our money can buy.

Don Berry