Pubdate: Tue, 06 Mar 2001 Source: Frederick News Post (MD) Copyright: 2001 Great Southern Printing and Manufacturing Company Address: 200 East Patrick Street, PO Box 578, Frederick, MD 21705-0578 Fax: 301-662-8299 Feedback: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/contact/contactfinalnew.cfm?contact=letters Website: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/ Author: Michael Barnes Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n331/a04.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n342/a06.html LET DOCTORS DECIDE There have been two letters on recent Frederick News-Post Letters to the Editor pages that I feel need to be addressed, lest the public be mislead by what amounts to anti-drug propaganda. The first letter that should be addressed is from Christopher Petrella (Feb. 24, "No marijuana for sick people") from Frederick. He voices his displeasure with Delegate Louise Snodgrass' support of the medical marijuana bill before the House of Delegates' Judiciary Committee. He then launches into a stream of rhetoric and character assassination that makes him look not like the "strong Republican" he claims to be, but more of a Clintonista. Any Republican that is opposed to this bill is indeed thinking not like a small-government conservative, but a big-government liberal. His letter is full of attacks and barbs, yet he doesn't pose any real insight as to why he is opposed to the bill. He does have a few good questions toward the end, such as who will regulate it, who will grow it and so on. Again, for a Republican (Republicans essentially believe in smaller government, but I am finding that out to be further and further from the truth), his questions invoke the ever expanding role of government. The other letter that needs to be addressed is a little more serious in tone, yet at the same time it too is misinformed. The letter I am referring to was published Feb. 26 ("Pot not that bad?") by Cassie Hartzell. I fully empathize with Ms. Hartzell's plight and the problems that her friends may have had with their addictions. Her description of her friends' problems are indeed sad, but in no way should be attributed to marijuana use. However her statement that marijuana is a gateway drug, unfortunately, does not hold water. In fact, the gateway theory has been debunked and discredited. The gateway theory is simply a statistic manipulated for the benefit of those who are in favor of larger government involvement in personal lives. Put in layman's terms the gateway theory (or Stepping Stone theory) states that those who use marijuana go on to abuse harder and harder drugs. While it can be said that most people who have used cocaine have used marijuana, the inverse is the exact opposite: most marijuana users have never tried cocaine. Also her statement begins with "started out drinking" -- maybe that could have been his gateway? MICHAEL BARNES Frederick - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake