Pubdate: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 Source: Los Angeles Times (CA) Copyright: 2015 Los Angeles Times Contact: http://www.latimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248 Author: Ric Levine Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n009/a09.html TO TOKE, OR NOT TO TOKE ... Re "The dark side of marijuana," Opinion, Jan. 4 Thank you for that anecdotal, editorial reprise of "Reefer Madness," as Susan Shapiro takes us through her less-than-enjoyable journey with marijuana. She relates all the negative aspects of marijuana without mentioning any positive benefits, particularly among people who suffer from seizures, schizophrenia, cancer and other ailments. Getting "high" is not the only reason for using cannabis. Many, including myself, use it as a sleep aid because it is the only thing that works. Virtually anything in excess is dangerous; moderation is the key. And keep it away from the kids. One woman's inability to handle a naturally occurring plant should not derail the legalization efforts throughout the country. Prohibition didn't work with alcohol, and it's not working with cannabis. Ric Levine Thousand Oaks - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom