Pubdate: Wed, 11 Apr 1998
Source: Anchorage Daily News
Contact:  David Pepper

MEDICAL MARIJUANA A SCAM

A thought on so-called medicinal marijuana:

The  medicinal  part of marijuana is a little chemical known commonly as
THC.  The amount of THC you receive from inhaling the crushed, shredded and
finally  burned  leaves  of  the  cannabis  plant  varies from location to
location  and  from  cultivator to cultivator and depends on whether or not
the  dealer  cuts  his stock with oregano. Regardless, the amount of THC is
minimal  compared  with  the  levels of  other chemicals that are inhaled,
chemicals  that  can be psychoactive, harmful and even permanently damaging
to the relatively fragile lung and brain tissue.

So  ask  yourself:  Do you want someone ''high on life'' cruising around the
same  streets,  bike  trails or shopping malls as you? Or maybe on the same
streets  as  your  children?  Or  hey!  How  about someone  who  has
authorization  to  grow  medicinal  marijuana inviting your son or daughter
over to ''study'' with his or her son or daughter.

There is already enough of a problem with drinking and driving. Shall we get
drugs involved too?

The  same  people who are trying to legalize ''medicinal marijuana'' are
also  trying  for ''medicinal PCP and LSD.'' Sound like fun? People who are
smoking  marijuana  for  ''medicinal'' purposes are lying to themselves and
others,  especially  when you consider there is a synthetic form of THC out
there  with  all the same advantages of the organic but without the need to
ingest all the other chemicals.

Let's keep the druggies wanted and their wares illegal.