MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Kudos for Paul Ertelt's report on Assemblywoman Dierdre K.
Scozzafava's courageous moves to support medical marijuana bill A.
5796. (Scozzafava Joins Democrats On Medical Marijuana Bill, March
6).

Would Bush, Ashcroft and Hutchinson put their own family members in
prison for 10 years to life if these same family members elected to
use marijuana on the advice of their physician?

Despite a campaign promise to allow states to "choose as they so
choose" regarding medical marijuana, the Bush Administrations Justice
Department and DEA has spent an extraordinary amount of time and money
harassing medical marijuana patients in California and Oregon in an
attempt to subvert the will of voters. Recent medical marijuana
convictions in California by forbidding the defense to mention
anything that might clue the jurors into its medical purpose may in
fact hinder marijuana convictions. The recent "paraphernalia war"
dropped hundreds of thousands of tax dollars without stopping 1 cent
of drugs!

Times Albany Correspondent Paul Ertelt brings up and excellent point.
Why has the federal Food and Drug Administration approved synthetic
THC but keeps natural THC illegal? The pharmaceutical companies
manufacture Marinol (synthetic THC). Extremely expensive pill ($25-40
per day) and is often unavailable to many pharmacies due to excessive
DEA regulation.

Senator James Wright claims marijuana has no medical value. He
references the DEA instead of medical journals! Journal of the
American Medical Association Oct. 20, 1975 "Marijuana in controlling
epileptic convulsions referenced 12 studies. Journal of Neurology 1989
study, "Effect of Cannabinoids on Spasticity and Ataxia in Multiple
Sclerosis" referenced 22 studies. New England Journal of Medicine
1995, "Antiemetics in patients receiving chemotherapy for cancer"
referenced 12 studies.

Congressman John Mchugh scorers another zero on health issues.
Congressman McHugh supports all efforts to eliminate marijuana
availability in this country.

LARRY SEGUIN

Lisbon