MISSING THE POINT

In response to my letter, Ray Hagler ("Legalize marijuana? That's a
disastrous idea," March 14) misses the primary point, which is: The
war on drugs isn't working. Prohibition doesn't work. Never has, never
will. Only a small percentage of the total produced is confiscated at
a cost of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Mr. Hagler's response was the typical, knee-jerk reaction to the
suggestion of legalization. His plaintive cry of "zombies in the
streets" is just so much hyperbole. And as for not knowing the harmful
effects of marijuana, of course we do -- it's been studied for
decades. It causes damage to the respiratory system. So does
breathing, for goodness' sake. If you want to get behind prohibiting
something really bad for us jump on the tobacco bandwagon.

Marijuana is a natural unadulterated plant. Cigarettes contain
somewhere between 500 and 600 additives! It's the only product not
required to list its contents. Why do you suppose that is? Because
it's a huge money maker for the government. On the one hand the
Surgeon General warns against its use, and on the other the government
allows the tobacco companies to modify the content with substances
that make it more addictive.

I'm not for smoking marijuana. I'm against everything negative that
results from the failed attempts at prohibition. The millions of
dollars wasted would be put to much better use in the education of our
youth in the harmful effects of all drugs, including alcohol and tobacco.

Michael J. McCoy

Vallejo