MARIJUANA AS DIVINE AS IT GETS

Jesse Rodgers ("God does not endorse Cannabis," Mar. 1, p. 8) fails utterly
to grasp the point behind Stan White's use of the Bible in defending
marijuana ("Cannabis not evil," Feb. 28, p. 4).

All sorts of Bible passages can be selectively interpreted, or outright
ignored, to produce whatever message the interpreter desires (many
Southerners in the 19th century used the Bible to justify slavery). White's
point is that marijuana is a naturally occurring plant that has been
declared "good" by God, along with all the other naturally occurring
plants. Whether God intended people to smoke it and increase the amount of
naturally occuring chemicals in the brain, also created by God, is another
question.

Still, it cannot be denied that marijuana is a much closer to God's
creation than, say, Scotch whiskey, which is by and large a man-made
concoction.

Therefore, if Mr. Rodgers claims that marijuana should remain illegal
because it "injures" the body (a notion that many scientists disagree with)
then it must also be necessary to outlaw any other substance that causes harm.

I am still waiting for Mr. Rodgers and others who think like him to
advocate outlawing beer (makes you fat), wine (harms your liver),
cigarettes (kills you), sugar (also makes you fat) and professional
wrestling (causes broken bones, brain damage and is just plain stupid.)

Arthur Cole

Hope Valley, R.I.