RETHINK DRUG WAR

In her Aug. 22 letter, Sandra Bennett claims that marijuana is not
medicine, then contradicts herself by citing the plants ability to
mask symptoms.

Medical marijuana is a palliative drug, meaning it alleviates
symptoms. When marijuana eliminates nausea and enables AIDS and
cancer patients to keep food down and gain sustenance, that means it's
working as intended.

Not only should medical marijuana be made available to patients in
need, but adult recreational use should be regulated as well. Leaving
the distribution of popular recreational drugs in the hands of
organized crime puts children at great risk. Unlike legitimate
businesses that sell liquor, illegal drug dealers do not check IDs for
age, but they do push highly addictive drugs like heroin when given
the chance.

Sensible regulation is desperately needed to undermine the thriving
black market.

Although marijuana is relatively harmless compared to legal
alcohol--the plant has never shown to cause an overdose
death--marijuana prohibition is deadly. As the most popular illicit
drug, marijuana provides the black market contacts that introduce
youth to hard drugs.

Current drug policy is a gateway policy. Replacing marijuana
prohibition with adult regulation would do a better job of protecting
children from drugs that the failed drug war.

Robert Sharpe
Washington, DC