Seized pot as medicine

In response to your editorial "Bad dope" (Oct. 24): You suggest that San
Francisco and San Mateo counties are studying whether they should let cops
distribute marijuana to patients. I do not speak for San Francisco, but
that was never the intent of San Mateo County, nor of my memo to the Board
of Supervisors on the matter.

I suggested that our Health Department, including our county hospital and
four clinics, which have pharmacies, distribute marijuana as they would any
other drug.

I further suggested using confiscated marijuana from police cases booked
for evidence. County pharmacists are available to determine that it is
good, fresh marijuana. This would remove the need for cultivation and the
profit motive from the issue.

What might work in San Mateo County could be the answer in all 58 counties
of the state. The law (Proposition 215) only dealt with legality, not
cultivation or distribution of the substance. I will be meeting with
Attorney General Dan Lungren on this suggestion on Nov.14.

Marijuana should be available to those few in our society who qualify and
are aided by its use. I believe this proposal makes sense.

MIKE NEVIN
President
San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
Redwood City

I agree with the editorial "Bad dope." It is bad science, bad law
enforcement and bad business to put police in charge of the medical
marijuana supply.

Law enforcement has demonstrated extreme bias and a lack of compassion in
this area, and their selfproclaimed mission to "stop drugs" makes them
uniquely unqualified for the task of providing medicine to those in need.

While it makes sense to release seized cannabis to the state's patients and
caregivers, that should be done through companies that market herbal foods
and medicines. These businesses have an excellent record of maintaining
quality control to eliminate contaminants, and could be educated to gauge
the general quality of cannabis buds. Add an inexpensive chemical test to
identify the heral cannabinoid content, and you're on the road to matching
patients with just the right herbal medicine for their conditions.

This approach would help patients, expand an existing industry and relieve
law enforcement of an inappropriate burden. The private sector is better
qualified, more easily held accountable and more helpful than are
government bureaucrats. After all, business is the American way.

CHRIS CONRAD
Director Business Alliance for Commerce in Hemp
El Cerrito