Pubdate: Sun, 25 Jul 1999 Date: 07/25/1999 Source: Oakland Tribune (CA) Author: Jerry Sutliff Dear editor, Admittedly the federal government must be embarrassed about its real reasons for opposing medical marijuana, but can't they come up with anything better than "marijuana smoke is carcinogenic." (21 July 1999). Tobacco cigarette tokers are legal and pay their taxes. So, why can't marijuana tokers, the well and the unwell alike, be allowed to do the same? Let's support Vasconcellos' and Lockyer's recommendations, with all its problems, for what it is, a good faith effort to realize the goals of Proposition 215. Jerry Sutliff