DON'T BE A DOPE

Editors, Naples Daily News:

Thank you for publishing online Bill Keller's outstanding column,
"Reefer Madness" (Dec. 2).

In the 5,000-year history of its use, marijuana has never been
documented to kill a single person. Methamphetamine, on the other
hand, is dangerous to the users, dangerous to the manufacturers,
dangerous to the police, dangerous to the public and dangerous to our
environment.

The United States is experiencing a methamphetamine
epidemic.

For the reason why, I suggest we look to our "drug warriors" who lie
about and/or grossly exaggerate the dangers of marijuana.

About half of all high school students will use marijuana before they
graduate.

They know from personal experience that marijuana is not highly
addictive nor very dangerous.

Our youth make the logical assumption that if the "drug warriors" lied
about marijuana, they are probably lying about the danger of meth.

Thus we have a meth epidemic throughout the United
States.

Thus it is time to do something different -- substantially
different.

KIRK MUSE

Mesa, Ariz