POT IS MISUNDERSTOOD

LETTER writer Nicole Dotto claims that marijuana use is "inarguably" a
stepping stone to abuse of harder drugs. Funny, but dozens of government
studies have seen the issue differently.

The 1972 Shafer Commission report, commissioned by Richard Nixon, stated
that "the use of marijuana does not lead to morphine or cocaine or heroin
addiction." In 1989, a DEA administrative law judge called marijuana "one
of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man."

A 1999 report to the U.S. government by the Institutes of Medicine reached
similar conclusions about the health and social impact of marijuana use. In
different ways, all called for major reform of marijuana laws.

Dotto's letter shows how effective the drug warriors have been at keeping
the public misinformed about the most basic facts on prohibited drugs. How
many Americans are aware that marijuana is now effectively decriminalized
not only in Holland and Jamaica, but also in places like Portugal,
Switzerland, Germany, Great Britain and much of Australia?

And let's not forget our neighbors: Canada's parliament is now radically
re-examining federal drug laws, and Mexican President Vicente Fox has
argued publicly for legalization -- but only with the cooperation of the
United States.

Keith Sanders
Oakland

SHIFTING DRUG PRIORITIES

POLICE spokesman Dewayne Tully says of the department, and of the local DEA
office, "Users of 'hard-core drugs -- heroin, crack' are the priority"
("Supes to feds: Pot OK in The City," The Examiner, Nov. 27).

While it is certainly good to hear of the principled stand being taken by
San Francisco officials against the DEA assault on medical- marijuana
patients, it is very disturbing to read that heroin and crack addicts are
in the line of fire.

If the drug problem is such a scourge that it requires "war" in response,
who but the addicts are its victims?

Dave Michon
Eau Claire, W