In his latest rant against medical marijuana users, Gen. Barry
McCaffrey asks, rhetorically, "If medical marijuana is so great,
why not use Marinol instead?" [op-ed, Sept. 9].

I don't claim to be an expert in medical treatment, but I can
think of at least two common-sense reasons why:

(1) Marinol is an expensive drug, and not every patient can
afford it. The natural form of the drug is as cheap and easy to
grow as corn.

(2) Marinol is taken in oral form, which some patients cannot
tolerate because of their symptoms. This should be obvious to
anyone who has the misfortune of enduring the painful nausea
induced by cancer
chemotherapy.

It didn't take me too long to think of those two, and I'm sure
your readers can think of others.

In fact, why don't we turn the question around: If Marinol is
really the same thing as the natural thing, does it make any
sense at all to deny patients the benefit of both?

Kelly T. Conlon
Hamilton, Ont.