Pubdate: Wed, 22 Jun 2005
Source: Sacramento Bee (CA)
Copyright: 2005 The Sacramento Bee
Contact:  http://www.sacbee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/376
Note: Does not publish letters from outside its circulation area.
Author: Ted Muhlauser
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n973/a04.html?83237

MARIJUANA AND HEMP BENEFITS

Re "House rejects measure to bar medical marijuana prosecutions," June 16: 
Congress must learn to approach the marijuana debate with science, 
intelligence and rationality. Marijuana provides proven therapeutic 
benefits; the feds permit marijuana prescriptions in pill form. Hemp, the 
drug-free stalk that produces marijuana, offers environmentally sound 
alternatives to food, clothing, fiber, soap, detergent, lotion and fuel, 
just to name a few uses. Both hemp and marijuana were legal until 1937, 
right around the time that alcohol use was re-legalized.

Drugs are pernicious and addictive when abused. However, marijuana and hemp 
bring greater possibilities to the table than cigarettes or alcohol, which 
are both legal despite the terrible damage they create. We can 
simultaneously reduce the potency of marijuana and decapitate the violent 
drug trade just by making marijuana legal and regulating it like beer, wine 
and booze.

Marijuana and hemp policy should be guided by scientific research, not 
unfounded fears.

- - Ted Muhlauser, Sacramento
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