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From: "Carl E. Olsen" 
Cityview
The Depot at Fourth
100 4th Street
Des Moines, IA 50309
bpc@mail.commonlink.com
Fax: 515-288-0309
November 27, 1996, page 3.
LETTERS
Can I see your medical degree, please?
Regarding the statements made by two legislators in Jeff Inman's
article "The forbidden cure" (Nov. 13), I'm disappointed in their
heartless disregard for suffering Iowans.
     Rep. Jeff Lamberti says that the medical community is not asking
for prescription marijuana.  Perhaps he is unaware of the millions of
dollars being spent by the pharmaceutical companies to keep marijuana
illegal, because they can't make a profit from it.  Perhaps, too, he
is unaware of their enormous influence.
     Pharmaceutical companies, in league with alcohol and tobacco
companies, are the top contributors to political parties, as well as
major financial backers behind the Partnership for a Drug Free
America.
     Rep. Brunkhorst says better and safer medicines are available. 
I'd like to know  which drugs he would prescribe.  Prescription drugs
prescribed for chronic conditions have extremely dangerous side
effects, far more dangerous that those of marijuana.  The Drug
Enforcement Administration's own law judge ruled that marijuana is
one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man.
Legalizing marijuana strictly for medical purposes would not require
a doctor to prescribe it, it would simply leave that decision up to
the doctor and patient.
     Even if their fears were true, it would make no sense to send
desperately ill Americans to prison for trying to relieve their
misery.  It's not that difficult to understand.  All it takes is a
little compassion.
     Carl Olsen
     Iowans for Medical Marijuana
     Des Moines
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