PROHIBITION SETS DANGER

Regarding Sandra S. Bennett's latest diatribe on Nov. 15, "POT USE IS
PRESCRIPTION FOR DISASTER," it is marijuana prohibition that has been the
disaster.

Prior to the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 and subsequent
prohibition of marijuana, the vast majority of Americans never heard of
marijuana.

Today the United States government estimates that 76 million Americans have
used marijuana. Regarding the so-called danger of marijuana, in the 5,000
year history of marijuana use, there is yet to be a single documented death
from marijuana.

Because of marijuana prohibition, the black market sellers of marijuana
often also sell dangerous drugs like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines.
Thus the marijuana prohibition creates the gateway effect. Not the
marijuana itself.

Regarding the so-called laxity of the Clinton administration in enforcement
of our counterproductive drug laws, more than 700,000 arrests were made for
marijuana law violations in 2000. Eighty-six percent of those marijuana
arrests were for possession only.

Kirk Muse

Vancouver