GOVERNMENT MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAWS DRACONIAN

Letter writer Terrence Farley's recitation of the Office of National Drug
Control Policy propaganda points about medical marijuana greatly misleads
your readers.

No credible promoter of marijuana-law reform claims that marijuana 'cures'
anything. What it clearly does, according to the testimonies of more than
30,000 registered patients and more than 1,000 physicians in California and
Oregon, is provide varying levels of relief for symptoms related to a
number of medical conditions, most notably cancer and AIDS. These patients
have learned that, for them, marijuana can be more useful than those often
addictive, heavy-duty FDA-approved narcotics.

Additionally, he wrongly calls Marinol 'synthetic marijuana.' In fact, it
is only synthetic THC, the primary ingredient of a plant with more than 400
active components. Chemotherapy and AIDS-wasting patients have great
difficulty using oral medications and, because of Marinol's concentration,
many patients tell us that they risk becoming too 'stoned' to successfully
function in their regular home and work duties. Patients without insurance
also must be able to afford the cost of Marinol, which can easily top $500
monthly.

Most importantly, Farley totally ignores the most relevant question
relating to medical marijuana. If patients and their doctors review
Farley's long list of alleged effects relating to marijuana use and elect
to use it anyway, should they be subject to criminal arrest, prosecution
and confinement to a prison cage?

Obviously, President Bush, Attorney General John Ashcroft and Farley
believe the answer is yes. Thankfully, more than 80 percent of Americans
disagree with such a harsh, Draconian policy.

Readers who think likewise should contact their federal representatives and
ask for support of a bill sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., that
will call for the federal government to respect state laws on medical
marijuana.

STEPHEN HEATH

Public Relations Director, Drug Policy Forum of Florida