CANNABIS DANGERS

Sir-Now that all the media have done a story on Auckland Coroner Mate
Frankovich's statement that cannabis can be the path to
life-threatening drugs and should not be decriminalised, I have
noticed that not one member of the media has seen fit to point out
that there have been literally hundreds of studies done on the
subject, and the vast majority conclude this to be false.

The only connection being that due to cannabis' legal status you have
to go to a heroin dealer to get it. That is tantamount to saying bread
and milk are gateways to alcoholism because they sell beer in the
grocery store. Sounds silly, doesn't it?

One thing is proven: that when cannabis users are put in prison, it is
a gateway to harder crime.

ALLEN MOURTON,
May 7, 2000