ANOTHER ROUND OF 'REEFER MADNESS'

The same old marijuana misrepresentations are served up by the new drug
czar, John P. Walters, in The Plain Dealer's May 3 Forum section. To skim a
few: Most medicinal marijuana wisdom is anecdotal, because for decades the
federal government forbade research on its potential benefits while
encouraging research on its supposed detriments.

There is not a single marijuana cancer patient to back up the claim that
marijuana contains "hundreds of carcinogens." That statement is based
solely on a contested theory of why tobacco smoke is carcinogenic.

The "link" between marijuana use and traffic accidents can be addressed
like the same link involving alcohol: Focus on elimination of driving under
the influence instead of trying to ban the substance.

The higher potency of today's marijuana means less is consumed for the same
"high." The motive for breeding that potency is concealment of the same
street value more compactly - i.e. wholly due to its contraband status.

And so forth . . .

Millions of Americans are ready for a rational, scientific conversation
about marijuana. Only the government continues to sling the same old baloney.

David R. Burwasser

Oberlin

The Office of National Drug Control Policy is back on track, doing what it
does best: Distorting the facts and trying to confuse the public about
marijuana is its game, and drug czar John Walters is a seasoned professional.

In his Forum article, "Don't assume that marijuana is harmless," he points
out that drug use among our nation's teens is at record levels, with 49
percent of high school seniors having smoked marijuana. While this number
may be accurate, his solution is to keep marijuana illegal so the price
will remain high. So are we to believe that the artificially high price for
pot is what is keeping the other 51 percent of high school seniors from
smoking it? Does he consider this success?

Maybe the mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, should be named the next
drug czar, since he obviously is more experienced than Walters. I'm fairly
certain he would be able to figure out why half of our children have smoked
pot. He would most likely draw from his own experience and the experience
of millions of Americans and come to the conclusion that kids smoke
marijuana because they enjoy it, just like he did.

While I don't condone the use of marijuana by children, I understand the
reasons why kids want to get high. It has nothing to do with price.
Prohibition obviously hasn't had the effect of keeping pot so expensive
that it is out of reach for high school students. It definitely hasn't
decreased supply, and thanks to the fact that prohibition leaves the
distribution to criminals, you can buy pot at practically every high school
in the nation; drug dealers don't care about the age of their customers.

Maybe someday Walters can do an honest review of our nation's history with
drug use and regulate it instead of trying to alarm everyone with so-called
facts. We obviously are very experienced with marijuana - statistically,
that is.

Joseph Zoretic

Lakewood

John Walters' Forum article is just more reefer madness for the 21st
century. First he admits that government propaganda of the past was just
that, propaganda. Then he continues with more propaganda, like the potency
of marijuana being stronger than the marijuana of the past.

You can find the truth about the potency of today's marijuana from the
University of Mississippi's Marijuana Potency Project. Every year, the
University of Mississippi releases a report on the potency of marijuana
that is collected from pot seized by the police from all over the United
States. These reports continue to affirm that the potency of most marijuana
in the United States is about 3.5 percent THC, which shows that today's
marijuana on the black market is a little more potent than the pot tested
in the 1970s, before regular testing was done by the government.

I will admit that from time to time some very good and potent marijuana,
produced mostly by home growers for personal use, may end up in the mix
tested by the University of Mississippi. But it seems to me that the only
danger from this more potent marijuana is that government appointees like
Walters will use it as a weapon to continue to wage war on responsible
marijuana users.

John M. Hartman

Cleveland

Hartman is director of the Ohio Cannabis Society.

Drug czar John Walters is con fused if he thinks the principal argument for
marijuana law reform is that the plant is harmful. Like any drug, marijuana
can be harmful if abused. It is not the effects of marijuana that
necessitate a change in laws, but rather the effects of marijuana prohibition.

There is a big difference between condoning marijuana use and protecting
children from drugs. Decriminalization acknowledges the social reality of
marijuana use and frees users from the stigma of life-shattering criminal
records. What's really needed is a regulated market with enforceable age
controls. Right now, kids have an easier time buying pot than beer.

Separating the hard and soft drug markets is critical. Marijuana may be
relatively harmless compared to legal alcohol - the plant has never been
shown to cause an overdose death - but marijuana prohibition is deadly. As
long as marijuana distribution remains in the hands of organized crime,
consumers will continue to come into contact with harder drugs like
cocaine. Drug policy reform may send the wrong message to children, but I
like to think the children themselves are more important than the message.
Opportunistic, tough-on-drugs politicians would no doubt disagree.

Robert Sharpe

Washington, D.C.

Sharpe is a program officer for the Drug Policy Alliance