OTHER COUNTRIES SHOW US CORRECT PATH

I'm writing about the not-so-thoughtful letter from M. James Currier:
"Keep marijuana illegal" on July 6.

In the Netherlands, where marijuana has been quasi legal for several
decades, the Dutch use marijuana at less than half the rate American's
do. And they use heroin at less than a third the rate American's do
(see the website: http://www.DrugWarFacts.org/thenethe.htm).

In 2001, Portugal abolished all criminal penalties for personal
possession of all drugs. Have the rates of drug use and abuse
skyrocketed in Portugal? No, they have fallen.

In 1994, Switzerland started an experimental program to sell heroin
addicts the drug at very low cost, even giving it to the addicts who
couldn't afford it. In 2008, 68 percent of the Swiss voted to make the
program permanent. Have Swiss heroin-addiction rates skyrocketed? No,
they have fallen dramatically. So has their overall crime rate. So,
claims that if marijuana is legalized drug use and abuse would
skyrocket are totally bogus.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.