MARIJUANA SHOULD BE DECRIMINALIZED

I have some bones to pick with Loretta Nall, the president of the Alabama
Marijuana Party, after I read her letter in the Register ("Prohibition
sends the wrong message," May 15).

First off, I just want to slap anyone who wants to legalize marijuana. What
needs to be done is to decriminalize marijuana, not to legalize.

There is a huge psychological and technical difference between something
being legal and something being decriminalized.

Truly legal products, like ice cream or bottled water, are OK for anyone to
purchase 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Alcohol and tobacco products
have restrictions on when they can be purchased, where they can be
purchased, age limitations on who can purchase and restrictions on where
they can be used. Any decriminalized use of marijuana should be subject to
the same limitations placed on alcohol and tobacco.

Ms. Nall also believes legalizing marijuana will lead to a reduction in the
use of crystal meth. I don't believe legalizing (or decriminalizing) by
itself will have any effect on the meth, cocaine or ecstasy problems, all
of which are more popular than marijuana today.

I believe that one thing Ms. Nall was getting at -- and I would agree with
- -- is that drug testing in schools and businesses encourage people to use
more dangerous products than marijuana.

Alcohol, cocaine, meth and ecstasy race through your system, so a student
or worker can use and abuse on Friday and Saturday nights, and be squeaky
clean on Monday. Plus there are a myriad of over-the-counter legal products
anyone can buy that can mask drug use, which everyone I know who has to
take the occasional drug test knows about.

My cousin, who was addicted to painkillers and Valium and smoked marijuana
regularly, passed every drug test she ever took, which had to be at least
10. If drug tests are not truly random, but are used only once to gain
employment, they are surely useless on adults.

Because marijuana is detectable in your system for a month after your buzz
is over, marijuana use is discouraged by random testing -- which is sad,
since marijuana is a less dangerous way to catch a buzz than alcohol,
cocaine, meth, glue, ecstasy and tobacco.

The thing that has really defeated the government in its war on some drugs
is human nature. In spite of all the billions of dollars spent and the
millions of people jailed, the desire to catch a buzz rages on.

BRIAN PRINCE

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