A NEED FOR WEED

Howie Carr's portrayal of UMass' request to develop a marijuana-
cultivating program for use in medical research as some sort of party
permit is just plain uneducated ("Zoo Mass isn't going to pot," Dec.
15). Marijuana has proven an effective tool in aiding people
afflicted with cancer and other painful chronic ailments. Many
suffering from these illnesses must live with severe and often
crippling pain while receiving treatment, and for them, marijuana can
be a welcome reprieve from an excruciating daily reality, reducing
physical as well as psychological pain.

I applaud UMass and its quest for an independent study on marijuana's
medical benefits. Government-sanctioned farms cultivating the plant
offer weak strains with a ridiculously low THC. Any of their research
discounting medical benefits is based on junk stash.

L.M. Sevigny