PLENTY OF ATHLETES, OTHER FOLKS SMOKE POT

Regarding Kathleen Parker's Feb. 15th column: Olympian Michael Phelps
is in good company.

The list of professional athletes caught using marijuana is long.
Could it be that drug warriors have been lying about marijuana's
health impact?

They've definitely been lying about the deterrent value of marijuana
prohibition. The U.S. has higher rates of marijuana use than the
Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available to adults over 18.

Marijuana prohibition is built on lies, beginning with the reefer
madness myths of the 1930's and continuing to this day with
government anti-drug propaganda masquerading as science.

As an admitted former pot smoker, President Obama no doubt knows the
truth about marijuana. Truthfully, marijuana is easily the least
harmful recreational drug, legal or otherwise.

If health outcomes determined drug laws instead of cultural norms,
marijuana would be legal.

The question is, will Obama bring change or will he continue to
subsidize the prejudices of culture warriors?

Robert Sharpe

Arlington, Va.