Letters to the Editor for Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Medical marijuana’s time has come
Thanks to The News & Advance for an interesting article last week regarding medical marijuana. I believe that it is high time to to re-examine our failed and too costly war on drugs. Especially this one.

There has been a steadily increasing body of research to indicate that cannabis does have potential in treating or alleviating a broad range of medical issues — everything from easing the suffering of cancer victims to the treatment of depression and, maybe, even Alzheimer’s disease.

Recently, the American Medical Association has reversed its long-held anti-marijuana position, calling for increased research into the possible benefits of this plant. There is also evidence to demonstrate that it could be a considerably safer alternative to alcohol for recreational use, given that the body has specific receptors for cannabinoids whereas alcohol achieves its effects via systemic poisoning.

In this time of economic crisis, might it not be a better idea for Virginia to legalize this “weed”; to tax it heavily and use the money to help finance accurate drug education, real rehabilitation and programs that actually assist our communities; to stop wasting money on pointless minor prosecutions that needlessly overstress a judicial system that could be better used for truly violent criminals?

I say it is high time, indeed.
RAY A. CARMICHAEL II
Appomattox

Silver lining to puffing?
Could there actually be a “silver lining” in something as deadly and destructive as smoking?

One day before I retired from the financial services business, I was blasting the smokers for putting such a burden on our health care system.

One of my fellow agents overheard my ranting and pointed out how much money the Social Security system saved by having cigarettes kill off so many people before or shortly after they start drawing Social Security.

He got me to thinking about all of the people I know that were killed off by smoking before Social Security age or shortly thereafter. My parents are an example — they both were chain smokers. My father had a heart attack and died at age 53, and my mother got lung cancer and died at age 64. My children were robbed of the experiences they could have had with their grandparents, and I had to go through the emotional pain of losing my parents prematurely.

To make it even worse, I could probably come up with at least 10 people that I know, other than my parents, that were killed off without costing Social Security anything or very little. It is difficult to imagine that so much pain, suffering and loss could produce a positive result, such as saving Social Security billions of dollars, but it is painfully true.

So all of you young smokers out there who are smoking to look cool, and you older smokers who are smoking because you are hooked, keep puffing away, do your fair share to keep our Social Security system solvent.
JAMES L. BATTON
Lynchburg