MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Feds, Focus Your Raids On Real Threat

David Broder's Nov. 11 column on the recent U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration raid on a California medicalmarijuana club highlighted the
absurdity of waging a $50 billion war on consensual vices at a time when
the country faces the all-too-real threat of international terrorism
(Strange bust suggests skewed DEA priorities," Times).

Not only should medical marijuana be made available to patients in need,
but adult-recreational use should be regulated as well. The reason for this
is simple: Leaving the distribution of popular recreational drugs in the
hands of organized crime puts children at great risk.

Sensible regulation is desperately needed to undermine the thriving black
market. Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains
constant only increases the profitability of drug trafficking. In terms of
addictive drugs like meth, a rise in street prices leads desperate addicts
to increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war
doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime.

Taxing and regulating the sale of marijuana to adults is a cost- effective
alternative. In Europe, the Netherlands has successfully reduced overall
drug use by replacing marijuana prohibition with adult regulation. Dutch
rates of drug use are significantly lower than U.S. rates in every
category. Separating the hard- and soft-drug markets and establishing
enforceable age controls for marijuana has proven more effective than zero
tolerance.

Robert Sharpe

Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy Foundation, Washington, D.C.

Steer Clear Of States' Rights

You've done your readers a big favor by including David Broder's column on
the DEA war against medical marijuana. We have been informed by President
Bush that this is a states' rights issue. But presidential subordinates are
still persecuting cancer patients by stealing their medicine. So has Bush
changed his mind, or is he actually not the president?

Danny Terwey

Santa Cruz, Calif.

Ashcroft's Agenda

This excellent column by David Broder really exemplifies the misplaced
priorities in going after America's sick and dying instead of far-
more-important priorities.

But it does not ask why Attorney General John Ashcroft would suddenly go
after the medical-marijuana dispensaries. However, once you realize that
his Cabinet colleague Donald Rumsfeld, secretary of defense, is also the
former CEO of Searle Pharmaceuticals, it all starts to fall into place.
History repeats itself.

Chuck Beyer

Victoria, B.C.