FRIEDMAN AND MARIJUANA POLICY

Re "Economist changed the world," obituary, Nov. 17

Milton Friedman's opposition to the war on drugs had considerably
more influence than your obituary suggests. Friedman was particularly
opposed to prohibition of marijuana, a policy he called "disgraceful"
in a 2005 Forbes magazine interview. During the period of Friedman's
advocacy for reformed marijuana and drug laws, most of Europe has
effectively decriminalized marijuana possession. In the U.S., growing
numbers of liberals and conservatives have called for reconsideration
of our marijuana laws. In California, the cities of Santa Monica,
Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz just voted to make personal, adult
marijuana offenses their lowest law-enforcement priority.

Change doesn't always come quickly, but it does come. The world is
starting to catch up with Friedman on the issue of marijuana policy.

Bruce Mirken

Washington

The writer is communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project.