JUST DEAL WITH IT

To the editor:

Dr. Clark Brittain's guest column in Jan. 7 paper was interesting and
amusing. He points out the facts on pot. Our leaders have already decided
to ignore the facts on pot and are tuning their drug wars on false propaganda.

There have been millions spent studying pot to try to find a harmful side
effect. There is none. It is not addictive and it is not a gateway drug. In
fact, it reduces hard drug use. Pot has been around since man started
walking upright and always will be, so just deal with it.

All the war on drugs has done is raise the price of pot to where someone
like me can't afford it. I have had over 30 operations and have painful
arthritis. A few joints a day would really help, but I can't afford it and
can't grow my own. Kids can find a whole lot of cheap harmful drugs, but I
can't afford a joint to eliminate my pain. The drug war is a total failure
based on propaganda not facts and it is crazy that you can get more jail
time for a pound of pot than a rapist or murderer gets. Yes, it's time we
look at the facts, not propaganda, but I know it is not going to happen.

John Baker