HEALTH ISSUE

The fact that letter writer David Smith has a personal belief in the
alleged "gateway theory" related to marijuana use does not explain why over
one hundred million North Americans have used marijuana and the number of
hard drug addicts in our two countries is less than three per cent of that
number.

Further, he does not address the fundamental question, which is, "Should
adults who willingly consume marijuana despite the misgivings of other
people be subject to arrest, prosecution and a jail cage at taxpayer expense?"

Marijuana use is at most a public health question, not a law enforcement
matter. Until that distinction is quantified by changing existing laws, we
will see far too many resources wasted on the persecution of consensual
adult behaviour at the expense of helping those people with real and
legitimate substance abuse problems of all kinds.

Stephen Heath

Clearwater, Florida