If medical marijuana becomes legal, it will be a disappointment to many. The proposed law would not require any doctor to prescribe medical marijuana, just as New York doesn't require education in pain care or enforce the prohibition against cruel and degrading treatment.

So as state Sen. Kemp Hannon has indicated, it is likely marijuana would be used for conditions for which it has no or little benefit and not be used for conditions where it is of benefit.

The law would leave too much to the discretion of physicians, given that New York is rated among the six worst states in the nation for pain management by the Pain and Policy Studies Group. Unlike 26 other states, New York has no state pain management initiative and it has never done a statewide study of pain, though many other states have.

It is naive to believe that legalization of medical marijuana will do much in New York to help people with cancer, arthritis and other illnesses.

David Becker

Bronx

[end]

Tough on crime. Who could possibly argue with that? Everyone hates crime. A fair amount of criminals hate crime, hate what crime has done to their lives and hate that they can't seem to get away from a life of crime.

The tough-on-crime political platform of the '80s has become an unbeatable ticket into office for scores of candidates. Tough-on-crime must be effective, since nobody has questioned the approach. More criminals are in prison for longer periods of time. Judges no longer have the power of discretion. Inmates are no longer eligible for parole, nor can they enjoy unlimited access to the courts. As a result, inmates are warehoused in violent institutions patiently learning their lessons and feeling the deterrent effect of the tough-on-crime monster.

[continues 183 words]