Prop. 215

Amazing, on the same day hearings in Washington begin with politicians casting aspersions on the voters’ wisdom in California and Arizona regarding medicinal marijuana, your front page details the lack of resources to properly investigate murder (“Strained Resources Hamper Police,” Dec. 2). What’s more, Orange County Sheriff Brad Gates decries Prop. 215 like a sore loser (“Official to Keep Fighting New Marijuana Law”). Perhaps he sees a loss of forfeiture money.

It’s this simple. People did not vote to give marijuana to kids. They voted for common sense. The voters would much rather have law enforcement solve murders than bust pot smokers. Voters want the jails filled with violent criminals and those who would sell drugs to their kids.

I find it interesting that politicians would admit that the voter can be fooled by slick campaigns; if this is true, why should we ever trust any politician again?

JEFF McANALLY

Lakeside, Calif.

* Gates will continue to seek out and prosecute marijuana users in defiance of the voters’ will. Isn’t it funny how financially strapped officials can find money to do things when they really want to?

JAMES E. VINT

Redondo Beach

* Your Dec. 3 editorial on the “cleanup effort in the wake of 215” overlooks a powerful deterrent to physicians indiscriminately prescribing marijuana: medical malpractice. If a doctor prescribes this drug for other than clear indications like cancer, AIDS and glaucoma, and the patient, say, has an automobile accident, then the doctor is wide open to malpractice charges.

The people of California have voted for legalization of the medical use of marijuana and have wisely put their trust in the good judgment of physicians, the vast majority of whom need no malpractice deterrent to practice good medicine.

GORDON GLOBUS MD

Laguna Beach

* Reactions to Props. 209 and 215 indicate that the will of the people may be no better than secondary to the will of politicians and well-financed opposition groups.

Whoops, there goes democracy!

JAMES LENTHALL