MARIJUANA NOT INNOCENT AS COLUMNIST CLAIMS

In her column on Aug. 3, "Government's war on drugs is a failure because it
tries to obscure the truth," syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker ridiculed
actress Barbara Eden because Ms. Eden takes a strong stance against the use
of marijuana.

I implore Ms. Parker to do her homework and get her facts right about all
the real dangers posed by the use of marijuana. It is at least as addicting
as tobacco, but causes the user to experience powerful hallucinations.

That effect seriously impairs the ability of the user to operate an
automobile or any high-speed machinery even as long as weeks after smoking
a few joints.

If marijuana is ever legalized, the cigarette industry will concentrate it
and make all kinds of chemical derivatives available. It will advertise it
on bill-boards, radio and TV. We will learn to our horror that simple old
"grass" can be worse than heroin.

Ms. Parker should get the facts about marijuana and then write another
column for us exposing its dirty side.

Sam Hollis, Savannah