CLOSE THE GATEWAY TO MORE HARMFUL DRUGS

Kudos to letter writer Robert Sharpe for his outstanding letter: "Close
'gateway' to hard drugs by legalizing marijuana" (5-04-05).

I'd like to add that 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, I was only interested in marijuana and no
other illegal drugs. (Like most 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.

KIRK MUSE

Mesa, Ariz.