ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA, WISDOM DOES NOT LIE IN WASHINGTON

Regarding your article, "Environmental policy may see broad changes"
(3/4/02), about the Bush Administration's new plan that seeks to shift
responsibility for pollution control and public-land use to local
government and private interests.

The article quotes EPA director Christie Whitman as saying, "The
president's philosophy is that not all wisdom lies in Washington". While
Whitman is certainly correct in opining that not all wisdom lies in
Washington, it sure would be nice to see some consistency in the
Administration's rhetoric, which usually is that all wisdom lies in Washington.

A prime example is the Administration's policies toward the medicinal use
of marijuana. Despite the fact voters in 8 states and Washington, D.C. have
approved the medical use of marijuana, federal authorities have continued
to wrongly claim marijuana has no medical benefits and have resisted
rescheduling it for medical use for 3 decades. And despite the nation being
on high alert for terrorist attacks since 9-11, federal authorities have
used scarce law enforcement resources to deprive thousands of patients of
legal access to their medicine by moving against medicinal pot dispensaries
in California, where voters legalized this option back in 1996.

As we fight this war against terrorism, the administration seems to ignore
the fact that untold numbers of American have fought and even died for our
rights and freedoms as Americans, including the right to vote and for that
vote to stand for something. In trying to overturn these voter-passed laws,
George Bush not only makes a mockery of our democratic principles, but also
breaks a campaign trail promise to let states set their own policies on
medical marijuana.

By picking and choosing positions based on political reasons while trying
to paint them as some kind of anti-big government moves, like the new
environmental policies, the Bush Administration only succeeds in looking
hypocritical and silly.

Gary Storck

Madison