AIDING OR ABETTING?

Many are making a big thing out of an issue that ought to be simple.
Should marijuana be legalized for medical purposes ("Court ponders
medicinal pot," Nation, Tuesday)? Absolutely. If medical science has
proved that marijuana is effective in relieving pain or curing certain
illnesses, it should be used. However, it must be treated as any other
controlled drug. This would mean that doctors would have to prescribe
it for the patient's use. The patient would not be allowed to grow his
own in his back yard. If that were the case, there would be marijuana
patches all over the country, resulting in a "high" America. I think
many of those who are advocating the legalization of this drug are
merely concerned about their own personal use. They think it's OK and
that marijuana ought to be as available as cigarettes. This would be
devastating to the American people, who already have proved that
temperance is a problem in this country. There are some things that
our government should control, and marijuana is one of them. Some
compare marijuana with alcoholic beverages. This is like comparing
apples and oranges. In the Bible, the Apostle Paul tells Timothy to
take a little wine for his stomach's sake. The Good Samaritan poured
wine on the wounds of the man who had been beaten, robbed and left to
die. There are many instances in which Jesus and His disciples drank
wine together. Let's pray that marijuana is never legalized in this
country except for medical purposes.

Rev. Kort Greene,

Scottsville, Va.