READERS OFFER OPINIONS ON MARIJUANA USE, ABUSE

DEAR ANN: This is in response to the letter from "A Sad Mother in
Va.," whose son was arrested for marijuana possession. You said our
laws on possession are too harsh.

You sure got it wrong. Marijuana is not the benign, innocuous drug
that many believe it is. People use it to alter what's going on in the
brain. It impairs one's ability to think, to move, to remember, to
drive, to study and so on. Would it bother you if your doctor were a
regular pot smoker? Your police officer? Your teachers?

Ask people in drug treatment if drugs should be legal. They'll tell
you that if drugs were legal, they never would have been able to quit.
I admit I am biased. I've been a police officer for 22 years and have
seen the damage drugs do -- including marijuana. Please reconsider
your position on this one, Ann.

DEAR PASADENA: I agree that marijuana can alter one's judgment, and I
do not advocate its use. However, I see no point in harsh jail
sentences for users. They need help to get off the weed. It can be a
tough battle. Read on for more:

Evanston, Ill.: Thank you for your courage in taking such an unpopular
stand. I was injured in a train accident three years ago and have been
in constant pain ever since. Marijuana helps, but it is illegal. How
sad I am a criminal just because lam struggling to survive.

Baltimore, Md.: Your comments on the legality of marijuana are right
on. Marijuana, like alcohol, should be legal, and people should be
held fully responsible for their actions while under the influence.

Boulder, Colo.: I do not understand how the government can justify
spending my tax dollars pursuing and arresting citizens for
participating in an activity that harms no one. Alcohol, which has
caused so much suffering and death, is legal. Yet marijuana, which has
proven medical benefits, is not.

Akron, Ohio: I'm disappointed in you, Ann. To relax the laws on drug
possession would be a huge mistake. When I was in high school, I saw kids
unable to sit still because they were high. Many of these same students
failed classes on a regular basis. I do not want my children to grow up
thinking it's okay to smoke pot.

Corvallis, Ore.: Three days after your column on marijuana appeared,
the residence adviser in my dorm called the police, and I was arrested
for possession of pot. My stash was confiscated, and I had to go to
court and pay a small fine. The police officer who cited me was the
same officer who had pulled over a drunk friend of mine earlier that
week and allowed him to continue driving.

Roanoke, Va.: "Sad Mother" said her son was a good kid. Aren't they
all? She said he wasn't hurting anyone but himself with his drug use.
What happens when he is stoned? Is his judgment sound? I have smoked
pot myself and grew up with an alcoholic father. I know what drugs can
do. This "good kid" is a threat to society. Knowing pot smokers are
driving cars scares me to death. I have no problem paying taxes to
prosecute and incarcerate people who break the law.

Bethel, Conn.: Marijuana has not contributed to nearly as many deaths,
injuries or diseases as other perfectly legal substances such as
alcohol and tobacco. I realize your comments do not make you an
advocate for pot, and your approach sounds reasonable to me. Thank

you.

Tampa, Fla.: I am certain many Americans share your view about
decriminalizing possession. It is totally senseless for our government
to make this plant illegal. Marijuana may be bad for you, but 30 years
of incarceration is insane. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath
water.