MARCH'S DRUG STANCE FALLS SHORT

To the editor:

Re: Grim Reefer isn't so Scary, by Peter March (May 21).

Peter March supports decriminalizing marijuana (I think he means legalizing
it, but let's not quibble), because it is not part of the drug culture and
"belongs in the same category as alcohol and tobacco, as a safe
recreational substance when used in moderation."

What evidence can Peter March place before us to demonstrate that heroin,
for instance, is more harmful than marijuana or alcohol or tobacco "when
used in moderation?"

The 1973 Le Dain Commission concluded, "There appears to be little
permanent physiological damage from chronic use of pure opiate narcotics."

Let's go further: why does March think that the government has the right to
punish people for what they choose to ingest into their own bodies, whether
the substance in question is harmful?

Alan Randell

Victoria, B.C.