U.S. DRUG LAWS ARE RUINING AMERICAN LIVES

Molly Ivins was right to describe U.S. drug policy as "odd" and
"tragicomic" ("Fear of crack worse than drug itself," July 13). But things
are even worse than she described.

Arrests for possession of marijuana -- a drug that has never, ever caused a
fatal overdose and which has been repeatedly shown to be less addictive
than tobacco and alcohol -- soared past 640,000 in both 2000 and 2001.
While White House Drug Czar John Walt ers continues to crank up the "reefer
madness" hysteria, other nations -- Canada, Great Britain and Belgium are
among the latest -- have taken a sober look at the scientific data and
moved toward ending arrests for marijuana possession.

Last September, the Canadian Senate issued the most exhaustive study ever
done of marijuana and marijuana policy. Its report concluded that marijuana
prohibition "amounts to throwing taxpayers' money down the drain in a
crusade that is not warranted by the danger posed by the substance."

Someday such common sense will prevail here, but not before current
policies destroy thousands more lives.

Bruce Mirken, Director of Communications, Marijuana Policy Project,
Washington, D.C.