Pubdate: Sat, 03 Apr 1999 Date: 04/03/1999 Source: Sacramento Bee (CA) Author: Heather Mackintosh Re "Science belies the political puffing against marijuana," Op- Ed, March 24: After undergoing abdominal surgery several years ago, I was given morphine for postoperative pain during my one-night stay in the hospital. I began to understand how one might become dependent on such a strong opiate. But to classify morphine as a Schedule II drug while marijuana is considered by policy to be a Schedule I defies logic. The real issue here is not the danger of marijuana, but the fear of the policy-makers that, in the wake of decades of warnings regarding the use of illicit drugs, they would lose credibility to concur that marijuana might have value. They've already lost credibility with many voters who know that the risks of marijuana don't even come close to the dangers associated with hard drug use. We've already approved the medical use of marijuana, and our government needs to reflect the desires of the people. Heather Mackintosh Elk Grove