MARIJUANA: HISTORY SHOWS HOW INEFFECTIVE PROHIBITION CAN BE

The letter writer correctly points out that marijuana is not a totally
harmless substance. Surely, breathing in smoke, from any substance,
can't possibly be good for a person's lungs.

With that said, she departs reality by suggesting that smoking
marijuana induces murderous behavior, a la the Amanda Knox trial in
Italy. I suggest that most pot smokers are more interested in watching
a "Lord of the Rings" DVD and eating Oreo cookies than in murder.

Marijuana is not the bluebird of happiness, nor is it the Black Death.
It is a substance that humans have been consuming for thousands of
years and is not going out of existence any time soon.

An inadvertent consequence of Prohibition was the mafia. We're seeing
history repeat itself on our Southern border with the explosive growth
of the Mexican mafia. Part of that growth is fueled by the fact that
marijuana is illegal, and many Americans like to use it.

It's time to come to a safe and sane policy on marijuana. It is not
going to disappear, no matter how many draconian laws we enact against
it. Let's accept the fact that the War on Marijuana is not winnable
and legalize this substance for adults to enjoy should they choose to
do so.