CASUALTIES OF THE MARIJUANA WAR

To the Editor:

Re "The U.S. Bucks a Trend on Marijuana Laws," by Eric Schlosser (Week in
Review, June 1):

The irrationality of the escalating "war on marijuana" is obvious when one
considers Attorney General John Ashcroft's demand for full enforcement of
the laws against medical marijuana in states where it is legal. Our
government's efforts to interfere with Canadian attempts to decriminalize
pot are no less outrageous.

The "war on marijuana" is a multibillion-dollar operation that defines
cultural, class and political differences. It has a disproportionate impact
on poor, minority communities and undermines the credibility of our
criminal justice system.

The people most interested in maintaining our current marijuana laws
(besides the attorney general and other hard-liners) are those who reap
huge profits selling it on the black market. =A0

MICHAEL J. GORMAN Whitestone, Queens, June 1, 2003 The writer is a retired
New York Police Department lieutenant and a lawyer.