WRONG PRIORITIES

Regarding James Kilpatrick's thoughtful April 7 opinion column,
alcohol kills more people each year than all illegal drugs combined.
Prescription overdose deaths are now second only to motor-vehicle
crashes as a cause of death from unintentional injury (Centers for
Disease Control report, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5605a1.htm.)

Television is filled with sophisticated pro-drug messages paid for by
alcohol and pharmaceutical companies. The Bush administration doesn't
have a problem with corporate drug pushers.

But hoist a "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" banner at an off-campus high school
rally in Alaska, and they will fight you all the way to the Supreme
Court. It is not clear how this nonsensical phrase somehow merits
limiting free speech.

Culture warriors in the White House seem to think the war on pot is
more important than the Constitution. It doesn't stop there. By
raiding voter-approved medical marijuana providers in California, the
very same Bush administration that claims illicit drug use funds
terrorism is forcing cancer and AIDS patients into the hands of street
dealers.

So, it's not just the Constitution that is expendable. Apparently
marijuana prohibition is more important than protecting the country
from terrorism.

Robert Sharpe, MPA

Policy analyst

Common Sense for Drug-Policy

Washington, DC