APPROACH TO MARIJUANA DOOMS DARE TO FAILURE

One reason why DARE is a failure ("Studies show DARE doesn't work,"
Simi Valley Acorn, Jan. 16, 2009) is it increases deadly hard drug
addiction rates due to teaching lies, half-truths and propaganda about
the relatively safe, God-given plant cannabis, marijuana.

How many citizens try cannabis and realize it's not nearly as harmful
as taught in DAREtype government environments? Then they think other
substances must not be so bad either, only to become addicted to
deadly drugs. The old lessons make cannabis out to be among the worst
substances in the world, even though it's never killed a single person.

The federal government even classifies cannabis as a Schedule I
substance along with heroin, while methamphetamine and cocaine are
only Schedule II substances. For the health and welfare of America's
children and adults, that message absolutely must change.

Further, DARE instructors teach that cannabis is bad and should be
prohibited, yet unregulated sales of cannabis force buyers into
contact with people who often sell hard drugs, which increases
addiction rates. Re-legalizing cannabis would lower deadly hard drug
addiction. But DARE doesn't teach that.

Stan White

Dillon, Colo.