POT LAWS ABOUT POLITICS, MONEY

Roger Burt's assertion that "Federal drug law is based on science that
shows marijuana to be highly addictive and without evidence showing it to
be medically effective or necessary" (Letters, Nov. 16), is untrue.

In 1970, Congress declared that marijuana has no medicinal value as revenge
for the youth protests against the Vietnam War. The decision was purely
political and used biased and slanted "research" to justify the repression.
Since when has Congress been known for its medical expertise?

Since the 1970s, the marijuana prohibition has blossomed into an industry.
The jihad on marijuana users is a cash cow for the myriad police agencies,
drug testing companies, privately owned prisons and all the other
profiteers who are eager to stuff their pockets with our tax money by
cynically using marijuana prisoners as a commodity, while crying crocodile
tears about the corruption of "the youth," surely the oldest specious
accusation in history.

HARRY D. FISHER, Woodland Hills, Calif.