Pubdate: Mon, 20 Sep 1999 Date: 09/20/1999 Source: Sacramento Bee (CA) Author: Richard Tobias Re "A journey to a really far out cosmos," Names & Faces, Aug. 23: Now we know that one of the greatest minds of our time, Carl Sagan, smoked marijuana for "inspiring essays and insight." We also know that tincture of marijuana was a widely used drug manufactured by Parke-Davis until it was prohibited by federal law in the 1930s. In their collective wisdom, informed California voters have chosen to accept marijuana for its known medical properties. So, will someone please explain, using statistics and generally accepted scientific methodology, why marijuana is a dangerous substance that warrants imprisonment? Richard Tobias, West Sacramento