MEDIA MUST HELP BRING CREDIBILITY

Government and media are partly responsible for North America's meth
problems (Editorial: Meth Has crept into our valley, Feb. 3, 2009),
due to supporting and enabling cannabis (marijuana) prohibition. The
question isn't if, but rather what, percentage of North America's
drug problem is due to prohibiting the relatively safe, socially
acceptable, God-given plant cannabis?

How many youths and adults try cannabis and realize it's not nearly
as harmful as taught in DARE type government environments? Then they
think other substances must not be so bad either, only to become
addicted to deadly drugs like meth. The federal government even
classifies cannabis as a Schedule I substance along with heroin,
while methamphetamine and cocaine are only Schedule II substances.
That harmful message to citizens must change.

Prohibiting cannabis, which is safer than beer, wine or whiskey,
places the plant's sales in the hands of the same people who often
sell highly addictive and deadly substances, which undoubtedly causes
the gateway effect and increased addiction rates.

Media must help bring credibility to cannabis laws to help lower hard
drug addiction rates and otherwise accept some responsibility for the
destruction.

Stan White

Dillon, Colorado, USA