RACIST AND SENSATIONALIST

RE "Drive for legal marijuana has a few potholes" by Ike Awgu (Feb. 26):
Ike's "reality" is a little askew. Marijuana wasn't criminalized because it
was a dangerous drug. It was criminalized due to racism against Mexicans,
hence the use of the Mexican word, marijuana (or marihuana) rather than its
proper name cannabis.

It is a sad state of affairs that people are still pushing views based on
racist and sensationalist anti-marijuana propaganda from 80 years ago. The
true "reality," if you do your homework and actually take a look at
scientific studies, is that on all accounts, cannabis is a far less harmful
drug than alcohol, and that there is no sane justification for keeping
cannabis illegal while alcohol is not.

Derek Snider

(That may be true, but we have our doubts that Ike's objections have
anything to do with Mexico)