COMPARISON FAULTED

It is disappointing that The Post chose to make an editorial point
about an important issue -- gerrymandering and noncompetitive
elections -- by seeming to trivialize another important issue ("The
Court Punts," May 1). "If medical marijuana can be made into a
national cause using state ballot initiatives, surely democracy itself
could muster a few votes," the editorial said, implying that medical
marijuana is not of the same level of concern.

That may seem to be the case within the cloistered confines of the
Beltway. But out in the real world, we hear every day from real
patients in real pain -- people fighting for their lives against
cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis or other terrible illnesses and
facing arrest and jail for simply trying to survive and relieve a
little bit of their suffering. We think those people deserve to be
heard.

BRUCE MIRKEN

Director of Communications

Marijuana Policy Project

Washington