JUST SAY NO

Re "Emery a willing martyr for cause going to pot" (Mindelle Jacobs,
May 11):

Canadian marijuana activist Marc Emery is now officially a political
prisoner. If health outcomes determined drug laws instead of cultural
norms, marijuana would be legal. At a time when state and local
governments are laying off police, firefighters and teachers, the U.S.
government is prepared to spend a small fortune incarcerating Emery
for five years. The Canadian government should be ashamed of their
role in this travesty. There is no justification for criminalizing
citizens who prefer marijuana to martinis. It's a fact: Marijuana
prohibition has failed. The U.S. has higher rates of marijuana use
than the Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available. Canada
should "Just Say No" to the American Inquisition.

Robert Sharpe

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C.

(Fine, but Emery practically begged for the U.S. to come and get him)