REEFER SADNESS

Re: Drug war invades state elections, June 1.

Robyn Blumner made a madcap attempt to discredit antidrug efforts.
Unfortunately for her, some of her statements were so outrageous the
general population will have a hard time believing them. For instance,
Blumner claims that, "what really can distort one's sense of reality is a
blind crusade against marijuana use, a drug to be sure, but a substance
that is less dangerous and addictive than alcohol and tobacco." Posh, as
Ms. Blumner would say.

Marijuana, similar to alcohol, decreases inhibitions and impairs basic
functions. Numerous studies also suggest that smoked marijuana is
associated with increased risk of cancer, lung damage, respiratory disease
and poor pregnancy outcomes. In fact, British researchers have found that
the tar from one joint contains 50 percent more cancer- causing substances
than tobacco, and three joints a day cause the same damage to the lining of
the airways as 20 cigarettes. Last but certainly not least, if marijuana
isn't addictive, why is it that 49.2 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 in
drug treatment are there because of marijuana?

In reference to marijuana's medicinal value, there has never been
controversy about the use of purified chemicals in marijuana to treat any
illness; however, marijuana cigarettes are not medicine. The false
portrayal of smoked marijuana as a helpful medicine has contributed to the
increased use of marijuana and other drugs by young people.

Blumner refers to the 1999 Institute of Medicine report that found
marijuana effective in addressing symptoms of nausea, appetite loss, pain
and anxiety. She failed to mention that the same report concluded that,
"smoked marijuana is unlikely to be a safe medication for any chronic
medical condition."

The principal purpose of the Office of National Drug Control Policy is to
establish policies, priorities and objectives for the nation's drug control
program. The goals of the program are to reduce illicit drug use,
manufacturing and trafficking, drug-related crime and violence and
drug-related health consequences. So when John Walters, our nation's drug
czar, was invited to Nevada by several grass-roots organizations, he was
simply doing his job. Despite his efforts to inform parents, youth,
teachers, law enforcement and community leaders nationally of solid healthy
messages, prodrug legalizers will continue to pule that drug prevention has
a so-called partisan political agenda. Proslavery advocates insisted that
trading in human flesh was a states' rights issue, too. States' rights do
not legitimize this destructive stance.

As for so-called recreational drug users, not only are they damaging their
own lives and risking addiction and health consequences, but they are also
putting the lives of our children at risk. Their permissive attitude toward
drugs and drug policy promotes illicit drug use among teens. That is what I
call reefer sadness!