WITNESSES TO POT'S MEDICINAL VALUE

Re "Pot Laws Pain Some Elders," Column One, April 28: As a three-time
cancer survivor living on sheer determination, I wouldn't wish cancer on my
worst enemy. Drug czar John Walters wants to compare pot with cocaine and
thinks they are similar in a burst of euphoria?

In my 20s, I tried cocaine and did not like its effect on me, so I quit
immediately. I have smoked marijuana at times through my 20 years of
battling cancer, and found it to be comforting and mostly helpful against
nausea and other ill effects from chemotherapy.

It's time this administration gets a clue on certain aspects of suffering,
and legalize marijuana for the people who need it medically. As pointed out
in your article, adults stricken with disease should be able to make
decisions that alleviate suffering.

Spencer Shiffman

Calabasas