END THE MARIJUANA BAN

Re "Should marijuana be legal?" (Forum, April 5): The time has come to
end the prohibition on marijuana and industrial hemp. The politicians
who claim they keep it illegal to protect the public's health are the
same ones who year after year postpone or eliminate clean-air
standards and environmental laws.

The article states that there are "good arguments on both sides of the
issue." Well, the arguments against legalizing marijuana are not good
at all. Those against legalizing play those same old songs:

1. Marijuana use would increase if legalized. This is simply not true.
As reported, marijuana use by teenagers actually went down in the
years after California passed Proposition 215 (medical marijuana) in
1996.

2. Marijuana is a gateway drug that leads to harder drugs. I have used
cannabis for more than 25 years and have never once tried heroin,
crack or other hard drugs, nor have I been inclined to do so. The
authorities in Amsterdam consistently say they don't have hordes of
new teens and adults swarming to the coffee shops there where
marijuana can be purchased and consumed, nor do these customers "move
on" to harder drugs.

Alan Archuleta

Davis