MARIJUANA USE AS A MEDICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUE

Record numbers of citizens arrested for marijuana possession have been
forced into treatment by the criminal justice system. The resulting
distortion of treatment statistics is used by shameless drug warriors
to make the misleading claim that marijuana is "addictive."

For an objective take on marijuana, look to Canada. After months of
research, the Canadian Senate concluded in 2002 that marijuana is
relatively harmless, marijuana prohibition contributes to organized
crime, and law enforcement efforts have little impact on patterns of
use.

In the words of Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, "Scientific evidence
overwhelmingly indicates that cannabis is substantially less harmful
than alcohol and should be treated not as a criminal issue but as a
social and public health issue."

Robert Sharpe,

Policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C.