THE COMPASSIONATE CAPITOL

Wednesday's editorial asked, "Should Santa Cruz be known for being the
medical-marijuana capitol of the world?"

Marijuana works for certain health problems when no other medicine does.
Sick people take marijuana to alleviate pain, or to make it possible to
hold down food and water. Many of them are fine upstanding citizens who go
to great lengths to keep their pot use secret from the world, even their
families. They understand that they will be judge harshly by their peers
and by the federal government. They read comments like the one attributed
to City Council candidate Phil Baer saying "I think it would be noble of
them if they felt the pain a little bit and did something for the higher good."

Easy for him to say.

The medicine cabinets of seriously ill patients are often cluttered with
enough dope to make Godzilla do the Charleston. Shelves sag with all manner
of opiates, narcotics, anti-depressants and pain killers. They don't need
pot to get high, they need it to feel well enough to function.

Giving sick people what they need is simple compassion. Isn't that worth
being known for? I say print up the T-shirts.

SVEN DAVIS

SANTA CRUZ