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MEDICAL MARIJUANA EFFECTIVE

In response to "Free Drugs or Free Speech," by David Crisp [Outpost, June 12]: DEA special agent Jeff Sweetin claims that "No reputable medical person will tell you that smoked marijuana is medically effective."

Perhaps he should speak with my co-author George McMahon, who receives 300 pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes each month from the U.S.  government.  He's one of only five patients who can legally smoke marijuana in every state.  Perhaps Sweetin should consult the Chronic Cannabis Use Study ( conducted in Montana by medical experts, no less ) which verified the positive applications of smoked marijuana to treat pain, spasms, nausea and ocular pressure in these five legal federal patients.

Special agent Sweetin claims that the 80 percent of the American population who support medical marijuana base their views on "emotion and lies." Suffering and death are indeed emotional issues, but the clinical and empirical research data does not lie.

Agent Sweetin asserts his children "have a right to be protected." I too am a father.  I don't want my children using drugs in harmful ways, but if my children get sick I want them to have safe, legal access to all medicines ( including marijuana ) that could ease their symptoms and prolong their life.  I think my children ( whether sick or healthy ) "have a right to be protected" from intrusive legislation ( like the RAVE Act ) that violates inalienable First Amendment rights that our predecessors fought and died to defend.

Christopher Largen

Denton, Texas