LET'S MAKE CANNABIS LESS DESTRUCTIVE

Re: "Shift in pot law plans annoys drug educator," Dec. 16.

As a parent, I fail to understand why drug educator Art Steinmann, and
letter writer Ted Cooper who agreed with him, believe that the
observation "marijuana is a profoundly destructive drug for
adolescents" justifies criminalizing adults.

Teens consistently report that cannabis is easier to obtain than beer.
Even if cannabis were as addictive as tobacco, as impairing,
disinhibiting and criminogenic as alcohol, as toxic as Walkerton water
and as demotivating as the nightly news, it still wouldn't make sense
to make it worth its weight in gold and abdicate its production and
distribution to crooks who work on commission.

There is no evidence that prohibiting cannabis makes it less
attractive, available or "profoundly destructive" for adolescents.
Quite the contrary. It is not a question of how much harm cannabis
causes, but rather, how best to mitigate what intrinsic harm it
causes. Making it more destructive does not improve the situation.

Matthew M. Elrod,

Victoria