WHY PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES SHOULD NOT GET STONED

Every year some 80,000 British people are prosecuted for small cannabis
offences; thousands are thrown into prison; tens of thousands are
cautioned.

Every person in Britian is forced to contribute towards the annual cost of
more than 500 million pounds to fight a drugs war which has long been lost.

The only achievements of prohibition have been the filling of the courts
with otherwise law abiding cannabis users, alienating our youth, lining the
pockets of criminal organisations, opening a gateway to hard drugs, and
prolonging the suffering of sick people who benefit from cannabis.

More than 16,000 people marched in London. It was a great day with no
trouble or strife. I was there and the Observer (news, last week) reflected
nothing of the spirit of freedom with which even the police co-operated!

Alun Buffry
Norwich

I found your report on the "legalise cannabis" march to be insulting. This
country needs to discuss sensibly policies that criminalise so many people.
Cheap shots are all very well, but it takes real courage to stand up in
front of surveilance cameras and be counted.

Prohibition laws patently do not work. We as a society need to address the
issues that cannabis raises - for medical and recreational use.

James Murdoch
Crief

I enjoyed your coverage of the cannabis demonstration. It was incisive
reporting at its best. But I was surprised that you missed the opportunity
for humour in the report on tobacco firms targetting young people in their
advertising. Surely this was a perfect chance for your correspondent to
write in the style of a 60 a day chain smoker, punctuated with choking fits
and pauses to light another fag.

Robin Pinquey
Amsterveen The Netherlands