MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS NOT NEEDED

I am concerned about proposals to legalize marijuana for medical purposes.

A recent letter-writer from Washington, D.C., erroneously reported the
results of a survey that actually had nothing to do with the medical use of
marijuana.

Apparently, they have not read the studies on marijuana found on the
Internet and published in the newspapers. If they had, they might not be so
enthusiastic.

They want to use marijuana for pain relief, yet studies prove that the
analgesic effect is minimal and inferior to the current medication legally
available. These advocates claim that marijuana helps people who suffer
from cancer, yet neglect to mention that marijuana is far more carcinogenic
than tobacco. They certainly did not see the published reports that
marijuana causes the same damage to the brain as cocaine and heroin.

I remember reading that heroin was created to treat morphine addiction that
resulted from the Civil War. I'm worried that these advocates have not
thought out the consequences of legalizing a hallucinogenic drug.

If they have research and medical proof supporting their position, why not
write about that topic? Maybe the people in Washington, D.C., who write to
our papers think we in Florida don't have access to the Internet like the
big-city folk.

Frank Montelione