ASHCROFT AND MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Seriously ill patients across America are celebrating the resignation
of U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft ("Ashcroft, Evans quit Bush
Cabinet," Page 1, yesterday). Under his supervision, the Drug
Enforcement Administration conducted a cruel and pointless war against
patients with cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis and other terrible
illnesses who found relief from medical marijuana when conventional
medicines failed.

It made no difference to Mr. Ashcroft that these patients were obeying
the laws of their states, or that their use of medical marijuana was
with the recommendation and guidance of their physicians. During one
particularly gruesome raid in September 2002, five DEA agents pointed
automatic rifles at the head of a disabled woman, Suzanne Pfeil, then
handcuffed her while they proceeded to ransack the medical-marijuana
co-op where she was a patient.

The departure of Mr. Ashcroft gives President Bush an opportunity to
reconsider this war on medical-marijuana patients -- a war that has
been rejected again and again by voters, most recently in Montana.

Bruce Mirken

Director of communications Marijuana Policy Project

Washington