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Dear Readers: The pros and cons of whether marijuana
should be legalized roar on. I will state my position
after today's contributors have had their say: Santa Fe,
N.M.: Chuck Thomas of the Marijuana Policy Project
estimates that 37,000 marijuana users are in jail. At $
30,000 apiece, over a billion tax dollars are spent
annually to incarcerate them. Meanwhile, the real
problem drugs, like alcohol and tobacco, are legal and
profitable. Wake up and smell the campaign contributors.

Parchman, Miss.: If marijuana leads to other drugs, why
not ban alcohol, since most people drink before they
start to smoke pot?

Alcohol is the REAL gateway drug. Legalize and tax
marijuana just like liquor and cigarettes. Arrest anyone
stoned in public, the same as drunks.

Keizer, Ore.: If marijuana were legal, cancer patients
would have a choice between antinausea pills at $ 40
apiece and marijuana they could grow in their back yards.

La Grange, Ill.: Chuck Thomas' idea of releasing
marijuana prisoners is great, but he doesn't go far
enough. Let's release all of the murderers, rapists and
child molesters too. The jail overcrowding problem will
be completely solved in no time at all.

DEAR ANN LANDERS: As chairman of the U.S. Senate
Foreign Relations Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, which
has a major focus on international narcotics control, I
take great issue with the suggestion that legalizing
marijuana would resolve the crisis of overcrowding in our
jails. It would only create more dangerous, drugaddicted
criminals on our streets.

Marijuana is a gateway drug. By legalizing marijuana,
we would increase the number of cocaine and heroin
addicts as well. In some cities, over 80 percent of
childabuse killings are related to the use of cocaine.
The U.S. Department of Justice reports that criminals
commit six times as many homicides, four times as many
assaults and almost 1 1/2 times as many robberies when
under the influence of drugs.

Experiments with legalization in Europe have proven
unsuccessful, leading to higher crime rates, higher
addiction rates and higher health costs.

Our nation is facing a drug epidemic. Instead of
legalization, we need to help our kids resist the
temptation of these deadly substances. Legalization would
be the path of least resistance and would lead to a
devastating future for millions of America's children.
Sen. Paul D. Coverdell of Georgia Dear Sen. Coverdell: I
can add nothing to your statement except my thanks for
saying it so well. Longterm prevention, education and
treatment programs are the way to combat the drug problem
in this country.

I've given this matter a great deal of thought.
Although not all pot users go on to harder drugs, the vast
majority of harddrug users start with marijuana. I do
feel that marijuana should be made available for
medical needs, because this serves a humane purpose.

However, althoguh legalization might help reduce the
crime associated with marijuana, it almost certainly would
increase the number of users.

Creators Syndicate Inc.