LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA CLOSES HARD-DRUG GATEWAY

I'm responding to Joseph A. Califano Jr.'s not-so-thoughtful column:
"The Right Drug To Target: Cutting Marijuana Use".

Because marijuana is illegal, it is sold by criminals who often sell
other drugs and offer free samples of the other drugs to their
marijuana customers.

Thus the gateway effect.

If we end the criminalization of marijuana, we will close the gateway
to hard drugs.

When I was a user of marijuana, which is more than 15 years ago, I was
only interested in marijuana and no other illegal drugs. (Like the
vast majority of marijuana users). However, I was often offered free
samples of other, much more dangerous drugs by my marijuana suppliers.

Fortunately, I turned down all offers of free samples of other
drugs.

Unfortunately, many others do not. Thus, the gateway
effect.

If we end the criminalization of marijuana for adults, we will close
the gateway to hard drugs.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.