ANTI-DRUG WARRIORS ARE IGNORANT

Dear Editor,

Re: "Reefer Madness" [News, Nov. 17] by Jordan Smith: Of course drug
czar John Walters has never rolled a joint! Federal drug warriors
typically know very little about the subject of their alleged
expertise. The emphasis on "drug-free" pasts ensures that those least
knowledgeable about the effects of illegal drugs are in charge of
enforcing laws against them. The primary hiring criterion for drug
warriors is ignorance.

There is a good reason millions of Americans prefer marijuana to
martinis. Anyone who has experimented with both drugs knows that
alcohol is far more dangerous. Alcohol drinkers who overindulge risk
painful hangovers, loss of basic bodily functions, and even death.
Marijuana smokers who overindulge risk wanting to take a nap. Like
any drug, marijuana can be harmful if abused, but criminal records
are inappropriate as health interventions and ineffective as deterrents.

Sincerely,

Robert Sharpe,

MPA Policy analyst Common Sense for Drug

Policy www.csdp.org Washington, D.C.