Pubdate: Wed, 06 Jul 2005
Source: Idaho State Journal (ID)
Copyright: 2005 Idaho State Journal
Contact:  http://www.journalnet.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/936
Author: J.H. McGonigal Jr.,

MEDICAL MARIJUANA'S BENEFITS

And they're still blowing smoke! "Medical marijuana - only for the most 
needful because smoke is still dangerous." More bogeyman! All the other 
reasons legislators have used to discredit the positive attributes of 
medical marijuana have failed scrutiny by the truth; by doctors, by 
psychiatrists, by real people!

First of all, tobacco smoke has numerous detrimental byproducts including 
formaldehyde (that's right, folks - embalming fluid), carbon monoxide (car 
exhaust, anyone?), nicotine and I do believe, cyanide (a real, 
body-friendly poisonous compound), other nasty ingredients and tar! 
Marijuana is essentially clean except for the tar.

Doctors know that the human body is able to deal with and naturally dispose 
of a certain amount of toxins and contaminators without creating an 
unhealthy situation in human organs, bones and tissue. I question the 
damage, if any, that one, two or three marijuana cigarettes a day causes, 
compared to the real marijuana/tobacco tar intake ratios. Any minuscule 
damage (once again, if any) that marijuana smoke may inflict upon the human 
body is far, far, far outweighed by all the good that it delivers. Please 
stop the bogeyman - stop "blowing smoke."

"The truth shall set us free" and make us more healthy as a positive 
byproduct of marijuana.

J.H. McGonigal Jr.,

Pocatello
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom