LEGALIZED POT WON'T LEAD TO OTHER DRUGS

I'm writing about Bruce Mirken's thoughtful May 25 letter,
"Pathological on pot." I'd like to add that I've never seen heroin,
cocaine, or methamphetamine, yet I was offered free samples of these
and other illegal drugs when I was a marijuana user.

Because marijuana is illegal, it is sold only by criminals (criminals
who often sell other, much more dangerous drugs, such as cocaine and
methamphetamine). And they often offer free samples of the more
dangerous drugs to their marijuana customers, thus creating the
so-called gateway effect.

In a regulated market, this would not happen. Do readers know of
anyone who has been offered a free bottle of whiskey, rum, or vodka
when legally buying beer or wine?

If we regulate, control, and tax the sale and production of
marijuana, we close the gateway to hard drugs.

KIRK MUSE

Mesa, Ariz.