Charles Krauthammer's Feb. 9 column "California's
marijuana haze" made several strong statements denying the
validity of that state's Proposition 215 and of
marijuana's legitimacy for medicinal usage. In profiling
the patients coming to the "buyers clubs," he states they
are "a classic crosssection of California potheads" and
that "the medical effects of marijuana for these
conditions are nil." He brings up the old myth of marijuana
as a "gateway" drug and asserts that we are sending the
wrong message to our youth.

Anyone who wishes to investigate this issue will find
the facts do not support the hypocrisy of Krauthammer or
the present administration. In 1988, the Drug Enforcement
Agency's own administrative law judge, Francis L. Young,
ruled that marijuana should be rescheduled [reclassified],
and that "marijuana is one of the safest therapeutically
active substances known to man." He was overruled by his
own agency.

In fact, 38 states have passed legislation permitting
the medical usage of marijuana. In a 1990 survey of
members of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 44
percent recommended that their patients break the law and
use marijuana. If other drugs are better, why do this?

The fact is, 400,000 marijuana users are arrested in the
United States each year. Legal tobacco and alcohol kill
550,000 people per year, and fund political campaigns.
Teenagers always respond to hypocrisy . . . they rebel.
Right, Mr. Krauthammer?

Scott Jackson

Durham