RE- 'DON'T LET STATE GO UP IN SMOKE'

I am rarely moved to the point where I actually sit down and respond
to something I've read, but I can't let stand the misrepresentations
spewed by David Briceno in the "Other Voices" column on Saturday,
March 5. Someone once said, "Everybody's entitled to their own
opinions, but not their own facts."

Let me state for the record that I am firmly against the recreational
legalization of marijuana. As a medicine, marijuana should stay
within the confines of medical marijuana dispensaries. However, I do
believe that it is a legitimate medical use to light up a joint to
de-stress after a hard day's work with a doctor's recommendation.

Most police organizations recognize that legalizing marijuana would
definitely eliminate the criminal cartel presence in the marketplace.
How many bootleggers survived the end of prohibition? Answer, none.

Cartels are in it for the money. Legalization would cut the price of
pot to the point that they would find more lucrative methods of making money.

Almost anything can be hazardous to one's health if overdone. Last
year 7,600 people died from aspirin. How many died from a marijuana
overdose? Again, none.

It is virtually impossible to overdose on marijuana as one would have
to consume 15 pounds in 15 minutes time.

There are no known cases of marijuana causing cancer by itself. Can
it damage the lungs? Yes, however that risk is eliminated by using a
vaporizer instead of a pipe or rolling papers. It is the act of
combustion that causes the carcinogenic gases in marijuana smoke. And
yes, marijuana does contain tars that can cause a persistent cough in
some smokers.

Again, the harm is less than that caused by tobacco simply by the
fact that most people smoke way less marijuana than they do tobacco.
It is absolute bunk to say that five joints a week causes more harm
than a pack-a-day cigarette habit. A simple look at the statistics of
tobacco-versus-marijuana induced lung cancer will support my claim.

In fact, marijuana and tobacco work in exactly opposite ways inside
the body. Tobacco is a broncho-restrictor, while marijuana is a
broncho-dilator. Surprisingly, smoking marijuana has been known to
relief the spasms caused from a asthma attack in less than one
minute, because it opens the airways.

The claim of marijuana being psychologically addicting is equally
absurd. Addiction is defined by causing a severe physical dependency
witnessed by horrific withdrawal symptoms. You could say I'm addicted
to Diet Peach Snapple as I get very grouchy when it is unavailable
and I get a crashing headache for three days when I eliminate
caffeine from my diet. Marijuana does none of these things. Many
people use it every day simply because they enjoy the benefits it
brings to their life.

A 1992 study done by the National Highway and Transportation Safety
Administration found that out of 1,882 fatal driving accidents, 51.5
percent had alcohol in their systems versus 6.7 percent for marijuana
- - and two-thirds of the marijuana users also had alcohol in their
systems. This led the NHTSA to concede that "there was no indication
that marijuana by itself was a cause of fatal accidents.

To say that marijuana robs a person of their drive and motivation is
also dubious. Many highly achieving individuals use pot regularly. It
might be more correct to say that some people with undiagnosed
emotional problems turn to pot as a form of self-medication.

As far as the theory that marijuana is a gateway drug, let me point
out the falsehoods of this position. In the 1960s and '70s, marijuana
use was increasing exponentially, while heroin use declined. It is
estimated that there is less than one hard-drug addict for every 100
pot smokers, so if marijuana is a "gateway," it is a very poor one.

We have been fighting the War on Drugs for decades at a staggering
cost to this nation in wasted tax dollars, broken families and
unjustly incarcerated citizens. Like it or not, drugs have always
been readily available to teens, usually in their own homes in the
form of prescription drugs - the first drugs of choice for most
youth. "Just Say No" hasn't worked.

By making marijuana illegal, we increase its appeal to young people.
Sadly, when they learn that they have been lied to about the dangers
of marijuana, they can come away with the mistaken belief that all
drugs are OK.

I am amazed at the dangers we all seem to accept without hesitation
from products we use every day. The list of possible side effects
that accompany every prescription drug commercial is mind blowing,
yet they are perfectly legal and are used daily by millions of
people. Marijuana by contrast has almost no harmful side effects and
a has great many beneficial ones. It is inevitable that marijuana
legalization will pass in California sooner or later.

I think it would benefit us all to tax and regulate this product to
keep it off the streets and in the dispensaries, where it belongs.