LEGALIZING MARIJUANA IS SMARTEST POLICY

Mahalo for Rich Figel's "Addicted to Life" column May 27 on successful
Dutch drug policies that work.

My wife and I have seen firsthand the social benefits that Dutch
cannabis policy imparts on their society, and believe we should
emulate that approach here. During our visit to Holland, we heard that
there are large numbers of calls to police due to problems in the
alcohol bars -- but they receive few, if any, calls from the cannabis
coffee shops.

For decades, I've read with dismay about the horrible consequences of
the so-called "War on Drugs" in our local newspapers. I've often
wondered if people here would ever be introduced to the world beyond
the "red, white and blue curtain," with regard to a more pragmatic
approach to the drug problem.

Smoking marijuana should not be a crime for adults. Let's legalize it
and regulate it the same way we do with alcohol and tobacco, two
"legal" drugs that actually cause far more harm than pot.

Let's try policies that reduce substance-related problems and impart
real social benefits for a change.

Lee Eisenstein

Pahoa, Hawaii