Pubdate: Sun, 05 Dec 2004 Source: Los Angeles Times (CA) Section: Sunday Magazine Copyright: 2004 Los Angeles Times Contact: http://www.latimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248 Author: Joyce Nalepka Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n1612/a04.html READING THE SMOKE SIGNALS ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE The U.S. Supreme Court case Ashcroft vs. Raich is an important one in the effort to help America's young people understand that smoked marijuana is not medicine ("The Plaintiff," by Carol Mithers, Nov. 14). Although the drug legalizers have successfully convinced a vast number of Americans that marijuana is good, parents and grandparents who have watched their children fall prey to this myth will tell you otherwise. There are currently 182,000 young people in treatment for marijuana-related problems. The drive to legalize marijuana is not in our best interest. Children are America's most precious natural resource. We should not allow that resource to go up in a puff of smoke. Joyce Nalepka President Drug-Free Kids: America's Challenge Silver Spring, Md. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake