Pubdate: Sat, 27 May 2000
Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB)
Copyright: 2000 The Edmonton Journal
Contact:  http://www.edmontonjournal.com/
Forum: http://forums.canada.com/~edmonton
Author: Theo Cole
Related: additional articles on medicinal cannabis may be found at 
http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm

GOVERNMENT SHOULDN'T BLOCK MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES

The May 2 letter, "Pot last thing a sick person needs," ranted about the 
evils and dangers of marijuana use as a medicine. The author cites almost 
all of the myths about marijuana (which have been disproven) as reasons to 
make medical marijuana illegal.

It is blisteringly obvious the writer of this letter has no understanding 
of the beneficial effects that marijuana has on sick and dying AIDS and 
cancer patients. This medicine was used for thousands of years in North 
America before right-wing fundamentalists labelled it "Devil Weed" and 
started a century of prohibition. If we have learned anything from alcohol 
prohibition it is that making ANY substance illegal creates a black market 
where the drug is still easily obtainable. It also brings the risk of 
organized crime into play.

So why is marijuana still prohibited and alcohol, a far more dangerous 
drug, is not? Marijuana causes zero deaths a year, it doesn't cause immune 
system degradation, and it most certainly doesn't lead to harder drugs.

To deny the sick medicine the government says is illegal is a great folly. 
Just because 100 years ago there were wild and unfounded claims on the harm 
marijuana can do, is no reason to keep it from those who can truly benefit 
from it.

Theo Cole,

Edmonton
- ---
MAP posted-by: Thunder