EDITORIAL COMMENT ILLOGICAL

Re "Letter to the Editor," by Russell Barth (July 24): It's the
perfect remark to illustrate the folly of expecting that the
criminalization of marijuana protects vulnerable people from its dangers.

If the point was to qualify a reason for keeping it illegal, it's a
non sequitur, a fallacy that does not follow. Replacing the word
"marijuana" with "an automobile" demonstrates just how vacuous such
illogical thinking is. "While an automobile may be harmless to some,
that doesn't mean it's harmless to everyone."

Automobiles are definitely dangerous, tens of thousands injured and
killed every year. Can the same be shown of marijuana? Even if it does
pose dangers to some, is that truly a good reason to criminalize it?

David d'Apollonia

Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que.

(No, and we didn't say so -- but we don't want anyone leaving the
false impression that marijuana is entirely without its dangers)