Pubdate: 5 Jan. 1998 Source: Chicago Tribune (IL) Contact: Sec. 1 Website: http://www.chicagotribune.com/ Forum: http://www.chicagotribune.com/interact/boards/ Copyright: 1998 Chicago Tribune Company Author: Anne D. Meyer DANGERS OF POT DEERFIELD -- The political baggage is not the problem with marijuana, as Usha Lee McFarling suggested in her article "Natural form of marijuana in humans a medical mystery" (News, Dec. 18). The effects on the human body pose a potent problem. The mind-altering effects of marijuana and the carcinogenic effects on the lungs and throat pose a huge medical problem. And let us not forget that for AIDS and cancer patients, marijuana breaks down the immune system, which protects us from disease. Anne D. Meyer - --- MAP posted-by: Rich O'Grady