WANT TO BE AN ALERT DRIVER? SMOKE POT

Regarding "Separating the weed from the chaff" [Aug. 1]: The question of
driving under the influence of marijuana is a red herring because stoned
drivers do not present a hazard on the highway. Peer-reviewed studies of
driving and marijuana show that marijuana-using drivers actually had a
responsibility rate better than that of drug-free drivers.

The truth is that marijuana use increases highway safety because pot smokers
are alert, cautious drivers who do not cause accidents. So much for Clark
County prosecutors with Reefer Madness fears about DUI prosecutions. Genuine
impairment will still be illegal, but marijuana-using drivers will have to
demonstrate that impairment before a DUI charge applies.

Cops who pretend that marijuana is a hazard on the highway are either badly
misinformed or just plain lying.

Redford Givens

San Francisco