THE EVIL WEED

To the editor:

With all due respect to the opinions of Dennis Hans, whose commentary about
marijuana use in the NBA appeared in the Nov. 3 Review-Journal, let us
examine another opinion.

For decades, it has been said that marijuana causes fewer overall problems
than alcohol.

While this is true, there are two important differences between the two.
One is that marijuana is illegal.

Using it, selling it and growing it are all crimes.

Whether a person is a teen-ager in Las Vegas or a multimillion-dollar
superstar in the NBA, he knows that pot is against the law. The other
difference is that some people can take a drink socially, with a meal,
after a round of golf, and in dozens of other normal situations. They have
the drink, sometimes not even finishing it, and then get on with their lives.

Marijuana is used for one thing: to get high. Users like the mood-altering
effect.

I do agree with Mr. Hans' opinion on the "avalanche of ads" making alcohol
seem like a safe and socially acceptable choice.

Perhaps beer ads should be banned from television like the tobacco ads of
yesteryear. Who really cares what brand of beer frogs like anyway?

KEN ANDERSON Las Vegas

Checked-by: Pat Dolan