LEGALIZE POT

Dear editor,

I agree with letter writer Robert Sharpe, "Making marijuana legal
would help stop meth" (4-06-06).

There is only one country in the world where adult citizens can
legally use, possess and grow small quantities of marijuana - the
Czech Republic. (In the Netherlands, marijuana is quasi-legal - not
officially legal.)

The Czech overall drug arrest rate is 1 per 100,000 population. The
United States' overall drug arrest rate is 585 per 100,000 population.
The Czech robbery rate is 2 per 100,000 population. The United States'
robbery rate is 145.9 per 100,000 population.

According to our drug war cheerleaders, tolerant marijuana laws cause
people to use other, much more dangerous drugs, like meth and heroin.

Obviously, this doesn't happen in the Czech Republic. Why
not?

Could it be that when people can legally obtain marijuana at an
affordable price, they tend not to use or desire any other
recreational drugs?

Could it be that marijuana legalization actually creates a roadblock
to hard drug use - not a gateway?

Could it be that the vast majority of robberies in the U. S. and
Canada are caused by marijuana prohibition?

Kirk Muse

Mesa, AZ