Are Potshots at Marijuana Undeserved?

American society feels compelled to direct its efforts to doing away with marijuana. Unlike any other of the social drugs (caffeine, nicotine, alcohol) and the hard drugs (ice, crack, heroin), pot has some medicinal value.

Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy have major bouts of nausea. Marijuana can reduce the sensation and allow patients to deal better with the treatment. Marijuana also is a minor pain killer and reduces sensation. (This is not to say that marijuana is not dangerous. I do not want the pilot on an airplane to be high or drunk.)

More money should be poured into numerous psychological and physical studies before numbers are published. Marijuana is less lethal than alcohol and less widely used. Our efforts should be focused on crack, heroin and the new deadly killer, ice. These drugs are very addictive and cause crime because addicts are forced to find new sources to pay for their habit.

JOSHUA ODINTZ

La Jolla