POT CRITIC BLOWING SMOKE

To the editor: I have a problem with two assertions made by George
Publicover (Aug. 2, Letters to the Editor). First, he asserts marijuana is
harmful, but gives nothing to back up that assertion.

I say this to Mr. Publicover: marijuana is harmless, and I base this
assertion on the fact that those more learned than either you or I at the
World Health Organization and the Institute of Medicine have released
studies stating so. These are large organizations that have nothing but our
best interests in mind, so why would they say such things if they are
wrong? They have concluded that more socially acceptable drugs, such as
caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, are more damaging than marijuana.

His other assertion, that Amsterdam is a dirty city filled with people
whacked out of their heads, is ludicrous. It appears he may have spent too
much time in the red-light district (which of course is in the oldest,
dirtiest part of the city) and has not yet seen the rest of Amsterdam. It
is groundless assertions that cloud the truth and breed ignorance about the
marijuana issue. When we all speak the truth and deal in fact, the issue
will be resolved.

M. Stackhouse,
Dartmouth