CANNABIS AND DRIVING

The Senate committee's legalization of pot report is anything but
premature! Jack Davies' claim ("Letters to the Editor," Sept. 15) that a
new intoxicant called marijuana will wreck havoc on our highways is
unfounded fear-mongering.

Cannabis should be classified, along with cough and cold medicine, sleep
deprivation drugs, tranquilizers and anti-depressants as a highway threat.
Label a package of joints just the same: "Driving heavy machinery could be
dangerous while under the influence."

Use current and existing methods for effective detection of pot-smoking
drivers. No need for a blood test: Let the constabulary use their strong
sense of smell and a roadside sobriety test to detect driving stupidity.
The fragrance of burnt cannabis in a vehicle and on one's clothes is akin
to flatulence in a small confined area. Easy to detect and very hard to hide.

Stephen J. VandeKemp

(True, though you can consume cannabis by other methods than smoking)