Pubdate: Sun, 22 Feb 2009
Source: News & Observer (Raleigh, NC)
Copyright: 2009 The News and Observer Publishing Company
Contact: http://www.newsobserver.com/484/story/433256.html
Website: http://www.newsobserver.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/304
Author: David R. Work

MADNESS, ALL RIGHT

Apparently the Obama administration is hinting at a change in policy
on marijuana ("Medical pot policy in limbo," Feb. 8). The time is
long overdue to civilize the personal use of this substance for
medical purposes or recreation.

I am unaware of any death connected only to marijuana use. And if it
cannot be demonstrated to have caused even one death, then I see no
health and safety basis for making it a controlled substance.
Marijuana is in  Schedule I at the federal level along with heroin and
 mescaline. This is nonsensical.

A historical review does include the distribution of the film "Reefer
Madness," which is a series of hallucinatory scenes used by drug
control advocates to foster a general panic in our population without
any evidence of harm.

David R. Work

Chapel Hill

The writer is the retired executive director of the  N.C. Board of
Pharmacy.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin