Pubdate: Fri, 26 Mar 1999
Source: Daily Gazette (NY)
Copyright: 1999 - The Gazette Newspapers
Contact:  http://www.dailygazette.com/

THE TRUTH ABOUT POT

The recent study by the Institute of Medicine - the IOM - concluded that
marijuana is not addictive, it's not a gateway drug, it's not a dangerous
drug and it has medical uses. According to the IOM, short-term or occasional
marijuana use has minimal risk.

It's important to note that the IOM did not conduct new research; they
merely reviewed the existing evidence. Dr. Donald Abrams, a physician at the
University of California at San Francisco who is conducting the only
approved study of medicinal marijuana, said, "they did the same thing in
1982 and came up with similar findings."

The IOM report underscores the fact that, for many years, government
officials have willfully ignored the truth about marijuana use. Our
congressmen, our senators and our state representatives have all ignored the
facts because they didn't want to appear "soft on drugs."

Last September, the Republican-controlled Congress passed House Joint
Resolution 117 - a statement in which Congress claimed that marijuana is
"dangerous and addictive," and that Congress is unequivocally opposed to the
legalization of marijuana for medical purposes.

The Republican Party pushed this resolution knowing that it was based upon
lies. The Democratic Party kowtowed to Republican demands because they
lacked the courage to stand up for the truth. The Republicans are hypocrites
and Democrats are wimps.

NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) estimates
that federal, state and local governments spend $7 billion per year in the
war against marijuana use. Every 45 seconds, an individual is arrested for
possessing marijuana.  Meanwhile, our elected representatives continue to
wallow in self-imposed ignorance. It's time for a change.

WALTER F. WOUK Cobleskill The writer is president of the Capital Region
chapter of NORML.

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