MORE REEFER MADNESS

RE "U.S. on alert for young pot users," (Jan. 22): This is absurd. More
reefer madness. Do you really think Americans are worried about young
Canadians coming across the border with cannabis? We've already got
millions of our own citizens and youngsters using marijuana. Not to mention
presidents and other prominent members of society who have admitted to
using it.

Eighty years of this nightmare are enough. Our resources need to be focused
on real crimes: Murder, rape, burglary ... Continuing this Chicken Little
routine and screaming that the sky is falling is just not going to work
anymore.

We're fully aware of what cannabis can do and how to mitigate any harms
associated with its use. We are not going to accept the crime, corruption,
death and disease that have proliferated over the past 80 years due to the
drug war. Prohibition: It's worse than we all remember.

Scott Russ

Baton Rouge, La.

(At best, it's been ineffective)