HUMAN COSTS OF R.I.'S WAR ON MARIJUANA

The Journal is to be commended for its front-page reporting of the
suicide of a 17-year-old in Cranston ("From tragedy, new life," Jan.
5).

The boy's family is admirably coping with the tragedy by donating
organs in order to save the lives of six other people. Tactfully
embedded in the story is a horrid but necessary disclosure: The boy
had been sent to the state Training School on "a few" occasions for
marijuana possession, and was deathly afraid of returning there.

Sadly, this case is not atypical. The Family Court has been waging a
virtual war on marijuana under the guise of the new Drug Court. It is
hard to believe that there are still dinosaurs out there who are
convinced that all of the world's problems can be traced to a little
plant.

I challenge the Family Court to reveal exactly how many of our
children have been incarcerated for marijuana offenses, as well as the
overall cost to the taxpayers. The human costs cannot be measured.

RICHARD HEBERT

Cranston