Pubdate: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 Source: Seattle Times (WA) Copyright: 2002 The Seattle Times Company Contact: http://www.seattletimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/409 Author: Sherry Rind Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1737/a12.html DISTURBING ATTITUDE I did not expect to be reading about or thinking of the possible danger of speaking out against a U.S. attorney who appears to target activists for the medical use of marijuana - or those who support them ("Feds pose challenge to use of medical marijuana," Local News, Sept. 16). According to the story, 100 plants is about the allowable number for one person with a doctor's prescription for marijuana use. One hundred plants were seized, along with a lot of expensive equipment, from four men with prescriptions. Something is wrong with the math, isn't it? What truly sickened me and prompted me to write this letter was the attitude behind the federal prosecution of the four, dying Bremerton men. Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Whalley said, "I never met a medical marijuana user who didn't smoke and grow it before they got sick." This is terrifying! This is exactly the same kind of thinking that used to prevail against rape victims. The men's drug use before they got sick is no more part of the issue now than a woman's sexual history before a rape. It should also be noted that the federal government will waste time and resources prosecuting dying people for trivial marijuana possession and use because "those issues don't make any difference to us at the charging stage." Does it really make sense to take such a narrow view and ignore the full reality? Last time I read the paper, there were more important things to do. Sherry Rind, Seattle - --- MAP posted-by: Alex