Marijuana --

A SHOW OF COURAGE AMID POLITICS OF DRUG

Congratulations on Steven Walters' article in the Jan. 2 Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel concerning Rep. Gregg Underheim's controversial switch in position
regarding medical marijuana ("Cancer changes lawmaker's stance on drug").
It eloquently depicted the ongoing complications that the politics of this
drug entail and showed how strongly a lie created over a half-century ago
can grow when repeated enough times.

Finally, a Republican with enough courage to challenge marijuana's status
as having no accepted medical value - being in the same category of class 1
drugs as crack and heroin - and express the truth without the fear of being
chastised by fellow Republicans.

Underheim is a perfect example of how politicians ought to act when faced
with the decision to stick with popular party lines or side with unpopular
moral obligations. The time is coming when a majority of the public will
finally recognize the horrible mistakes our government is making in its
treatment of medical marijuana users.

The argument that marijuana is a dangerous drug with no medical value has
proved most stubborn and detrimental in its effects at destroying the lives
of honest, hard-working and otherwise law-abiding Americans. It is
unfortunate that it took a bout with cancer to realize how backward and
harmful the current laws are and to make the appropriate switch in positions.

Ivan D. Gikling, President, UWM chapter, National Organization for the
Reform of Marijuana Laws, Milwaukee