Saturday, January 18 1997; Page A22
The Washington Post
The Post's Dec. 31 editorial "A Toke Instead of a Tablet?" supported the federal government's effort to override the California and Arizona marijuana initiatives. The editorial says that "doctors and scientists (as opposed to voters) are the best arbiters of how and under what conditions dangerous drugs can be used to help the sick."
But that is precisely the purpose of both initiatives -- to allow doctors to prescribe marijuana when they deem it to be medically advisable. Rather than condemn California and Arizona, we should applaud those states for serving as test cases to gain information about the costs and benefits of possible changes in our drug laws.
The editorial also repeats Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala's assertion that marijuana damages the heart, brain, lungs and immune system. But neither The Post nor Secretary Shalala offers any supporting evidence: What diseases are involved? How much does marijuana use increase the probability of contracting those diseases? How does this increased probability compare with other risks that we routinely accept? It is clear beyond reasonable doubt, for example, that marijuana is far less dangerous and far less addictive than tobacco.
Finally, The Post states that marijuana use "often leads to abuse of other drugs." The only apparent basis for this claim is the fact that marijuana is the first illegal drug that most people experiment with. Well, of course it is! Compared with other illegal substanc\es, marijuana is cheap, readily available and recognized as being relative\ly safe -- and the great majority of its users do not go on to harder drugs.
RICHARD F. KENNEDY
Lorton
© Copyright 1997 The Washington Post Company
