THE CANNABIS MESSAGE MUST CHANGE

Eliminating Drug Abuse Resistance Education-type government anti-drug
programs ("How to reduce drug use," Letters, Jan. 27) will lower hard
drug addiction rates when replaced by more honest drug awareness programs.

Even government studies indicate DARE is a failure and one reason is
due to teaching lies, half-truths and propaganda concerning the
relatively safe, God-given plant cannabis (marijuana).

How many citizens try cannabis and realize it's not nearly as harmful
as taught in DARE programs? 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, the message pertaining to cannabis absolutely must change.

Stan White, Dillon, Colo.