KEEP MARIJUANA ILLEGAL

In the March 9 letter "Marijuana gateway drug? That's just
propaganda" author David Lane raises several points that I feel
should be addressed.

Initially, Mr. Lane disputes the concept that marijuana is a gateway
drug leading to further drug experimentation/abuse. He says
legalization of marijuana would benefit society by "using all the
money wasted in the war on drugs for valid social programs." If
marijuana is not a gateway drug, then how does the author reconcile
his statement that legalization will stop the "war on drugs," not
marijuana, but all drugs? My second question is regarding his
statement: "If drugs were sold in regulated, age-controlled markets,
those with use problems would be treated by doctors." Currently, the
legal age for the purchase and use of alcohol in the commonwealth is
21 years old. I hope the author watches the local news closely in the
next few months as we approach the season for high school proms and
graduation. If he does, unfortunately he will read articles about the
loss of more underage children celebrating these events by illegally
using alcohol, alcohol that is sold in regulated, age-controlled markets.

The author of the initial letter commented about the number of
criminal transactions taking place at the neighborhood drug dealer.
How many of these transactions occurred between the dealer and
"customers" who were already high or under the influence of alcohol?
Additionally, while the end users of marijuana may be making small
purchases, somewhere up the line, the sellers are making large
purchases. The larger the purchase (and therefore the risk to those
involved) the more likely it is that weapons will be involved.

Marijuana use is not murder or felony theft and I am not trying to
equate it with those crimes. But as a father who is terrified of my
phone ringing in the middle of the night because some drunk or yes,
as hard as it is for Mr. Lane and his fellow supporters to envision,
someone stoned, ran into my family or another loved one driving home,
I am against making that horrible scenario any easier to accomplish.

If you want to use marijuana I cannot stop you. I will call the
police if I see you using it in a car just as I do when I see you
drinking alcohol in a car. And yes, as minor as it may seem to some,
the fact that its use is against the law does prevent some people from using.

I realize that there are many people who use marijuana and never go
on to stronger drugs. I realize that there are people who use
marijuana and pay their taxes. I hope Mr. Lane realizes that the
easier society makes it to use marijuana the greater incidence of
driving under the influence we will have. I hope he also realizes
that no mater how regulated and age controlled a legalized market is,
the result would be easier access to those deemed underage by the law.

If you choose to smoke marijuana in the privacy of your own home
there is little that I or society as a whole will do about it. But
you should know that you are at risk, at least for misdemeanor
charges when you travel public roads to obtain what society has
agreed is illegal.