MARIJUANA VIEWS DRAW RESPONSE

I'm from the U.S. and I must say I'm intrigued by your Senate report. I
have always supported legalizing marijuana along the lines of alcohol,
using the Dutch approach of coffee shops. I wouldn't recommend selling it
where alcohol is sold or dispensed, as alcohol is filthy and mind-altering
to a degree marijuana could never be. Anyone who prefers marijuana to
alcohol has to be congratulated for superb common sense.

As for the 16 age limit, that threw me for a loop. I had never imagined
setting the legal age limit at 16 and it took me days to understand why
they would do that. You must understand, as I finally did, that one of the
main reasons for legalizing marijuana is to help reduce hard drug usage and
addiction. If someone feels they can dabble with marijuana legally and get
true marijuana facts, they will be much more attentive to you when you tell
them the truth about meth, cocaine and heroin.

Since marijuana is not addictive, most people will just move on, never
having used anything but marijuana. Ten per cent will continue to use
marijuana, but they would have anyway. If you can get the other 90 per cent
to use less of the hard drugs, you have won the war and reduced addiction.

Clay Lovett

Jackson, Tenn.