Pubdate: Tue, 24 Sep 2002
Source: Arizona Republic (AZ)
Copyright: 2002 The Arizona Republic
Contact:  http://www.arizonarepublic.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/24
Author: George W. Iliff
Related: Question 9 - The Marijuana Initiative http://www.Question9.org
Bookmarks: http://www.mapinc.org/find?162 (Nevadans for Responsible Law 
Enforcement)
http://www.mapinc.org/find?163 (Question 9 (NV))

OFFICIALS TRY TO 'TAR' POT

In the "Other Voices" section of the Opinions page on Thursday,
Richard Carmona, the new surgeon general, is reported to have said,
"It's a common misperception that smoking marijuana is less dangerous
than smoking a cigarette. Marijuana contains three to five times more
tar and carbon monoxide than a comparable amount of tobacco."

In reality, a pot smoker uses only a very small amount of marijuana
compared with the amount of tobacco normally used by a cigarette
smoker. It is therefore ludicrous to compare marijuana and tobacco on
a one-to-one basis. In short, a pot smoker is actually exposed to far
less tar and carbon monoxide than a cigarette smoker.

It is disconcerting that the government deliberately uses this
misrepresentation time after time after time.

George W. Iliff
Sun City
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake