PERSECUTION OF CANNABIS IS THE GATEWAY TO DRUG ABUSE

Dear Editor,

Robert Merkin (Letter: Students Keep Using Drugs, April 26, 2007) hit
the bull's eye but there's more.

After all government says about cannabis (marijuana / the devil
weed), how do citizens and especially youth know government is
telling the truth about heroin and meth?

Government's reefer madness, cannabis prohibition has had the
ill-effect of creating contempt for any and all drug news from government.

It is the persistent persecution and prohibition of cannabis that has
created a gateway to drug abuse, making government directly
responsible for increasing hard drug addictions continuing to grow in
North America, with younger children being victims.

According to government, cannabis is the biggest problem in North
America, just ask the U.S. Drug Czar. Today's pot is more like
cocaine, causing cancer and all. Asserting that cannabis has no
medical value, while thousands of years proves otherwise, creates
contempt. Labeling cannabis as Schedule I with deadly heroin and
placing meth only as a Schedule II substance creates contempt.
Cigarettes which kill over 1,000 North Americans daily is legal, yet
cannabis which has never killed one person in over 5,000 years of
documented use is illegal. It's no wonder youth don't listen to government.

Since government isn't, perhaps it's time for media, including the
Chronicle to tell the truth. Does lying to youth about cannabis
compromise hard drug messages? Has North America made a mistake by
not being truthful with Youth? What's the truth?

Truthfully,

Stan White Dillon, Colorado

(online reader)