Pubdate: Thu, 8 Nov 2007 Source: Commonwealth Times,The (Virginia Commonwealth U, VA Edu) Copyright: 2007 The Commonwealth Times Contact: http://www.commonwealthtimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4611 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n1281/a01.html Author: Howard J. Wooldridge Note: Title by Newshawk LEGALIZING CANNABIS HAS PROVEN MERITS To the Editor, As a retired police officer and student of history, I would ask Ms. Vamenta to do some research on the topic of marijuana prohibition. It has been the unwritten policy of the federal government to allow no research to prove that marijuana is an effective, low side-effect, low-cost medicine. They know from reading the medical journals prior to 1937 and overwhelming anecdotal evidence that God didn't make no junk. When the Texas Legislature in 1919 prohibited the sale of cannabis, they made an exception for both human and animal use. Ms. Vamenta should learn that when cannabis is legal for medical reasons, the pharmaceutical industry will lose between 1 and 5 percent of its $640 billion gross sales. Follow the money, Ms. Vamenta, follow the money. Officer Howard J. Wooldridge Education Specialist, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Washington, D.C. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake