MARIJUANA BAN PENALIZES THE ILL

Regarding the July 3 letter "Medical marijuana is not needed" by Frank
Montelione, I congratulate him on his good health, but must remind him
others are not so fortunate.

When his weight drops to 98 pounds from chemotherapy, as mine did two years
ago, or when his migraines keep him awake until 5 every morning for years,
as they did my mother, he might change his tune.

There are three times as many tobacco smokers as marijuana smokers, and I
can show him entire wards in hospitals full of people dying from tobacco.

I challenge him to find one room full of people ill from marijuana.

This should be no trouble if his statistics are accurate.

We would love to show him research supporting our firm knowledge that
marijuana can be a life-saving drug.

People should write their representatives in Congress and ask that more
such research be allowed.

We as a nation need to stop waging war on our own citizens who
self-medicate their very real illnesses, and concentrate our resources on
fighting genuine criminals and terrorists.

James Stubbins, Melbourne