Pubdate: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 Source: SF Weekly (CA) Contact: 2003 New Times Inc Website: http://www.sfweekly.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/812 Author: Joe Sokolinsky, Arnold Knepfer, M.D. Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n875/a13.html Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California) REEFER BEEFER What Is Your Guy's Problem With Medical Pot?: Thanks to Matt Smith for his ongoing concern that not all medicinal marijuana patients in San Francisco are either terminal cancer patients trying to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy or AIDS victims wasting away ["Hey, Man, Got Any ID?," June 11]. I think I speak on behalf of most of his publication's readers when I say that we all sleep a little better at night knowing that Mr. Smith is so diligently exposing these alleged abuses of S.F.'s medicinal marijuana program. And speaking of the politics of marijuana, I'm just curious: Does Mr. Smith ever report on our government's policies toward marijuana that actually do impact the citizens of this country? Over the last few decades the U.S. has spent billions of dollars to fight marijuana and put several million of its citizens in prison for the crime of possessing marijuana. I strongly urge Mr. Smith to read Eric Schlosser's Reefer Madness to get some better perspective on his crusade. Joe Sokolinsky Mission - ----------------------------------------------- This Is His Problem, Bub: Smith hit another home run with his article on the mess in the medical marijuana program. I'm not surprised to read about the three heavy hitters who approve of the use of marijuana for their "patients." Too bad Smith didn't "name names"! I wonder if they are some of the same doctors who are "gatekeepers" for the Marin County version of the S.F. marijuana clinic. (I practice psychiatry in Marin.) I guess he felt that he was opening himself up to something or other if he did so. "Medical marijuana" is a farce. I agree with Bob Marley and William F. Buckley Jr.: "Legalize it!" (And I mean all drugs, not just marijuana.) Arnold Knepfer, M.D. Via the Internet - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk