MARIJUANA BENEFITS

Niles -- After reading your editorial stating that the Supreme Court has
once again shot down the use of marijuana as medicine, I feel compelled to
tell you of my family's experience ("Marijuana as medicine," Editorial,
June 10).

When I was a young child 80 years ago, my sister Betty had a severe case of
asthma.

My mother spent many nights at her bedside, praying that she survive until
morning.

With the help of a miracle drug, Asthmador, she always made it.

Asthmador was a powder that was placed on a tin plate, lighted and then
inhaled.

It was taken off the market suddenly, probably because marijuana was its
main ingredient.

Many years later my husband tried some of my sister's leftover container
for his asthma.

And it worked for my husband too.

Yet today our government is keeping other sufferers from using marijuana
for purposes that have been shown scientifically to be beneficial, such as
relief of nausea from chemotherapy and muscle spasticity of multiple sclerosis.

I think it's shameful!

Ruth Banoff