MARIJUANA AND OTHER DRUGS

In his desire to promote the legalization of marijuana, John Chase
(Letters, Jan. 21) spins truth into a crash and burn for our kids. His
absurd claim is that marijuana use should be promoted through legalizing
the drug with the result that use of cocaine and other more deadly drugs
would thus be prevented.

Coincidentally, I read this propaganda just hours after one more regular
visit to an area detention center to reveal to incarcerated boys a better
way of life.

On this occasion, I was once again warned of the insidious deadly trap that
is marijuana. A boy, at 16, lost control of his life when, six months ago,
his marijuana habit no longer satisfied. Since moving through the gateway
to crack cocaine, he has had four arrests. He has no confidence of ever
controlling his addiction. It is an old, old story.

The promotion of marijuana as a drug of intellectual culture is a deadly
spin of the truth that begins the life-consuming entry into deadly drugs.

The motivation for legalizing marijuana is not availability, but
acceptability. In attaining this social status for marijuana users, our
kids are being trashed.