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VIAGRA'S ALREADY KILLED MORE THAN MARIJUANA

Dear Editor, Please consider publishing the following brief letter:

Tom Boyd's tongue-in-cheek Dec.  6th column underscored the hypocrisy of the war on some drugs.  The goal of a "drug-free" America that so many politicians claim to be working towards applies only to certain drugs.  Specifically, natural drugs that cannot be patented by the pharmaceutical industry, one of Washington's most powerful lobbies.

New lifestyle drugs are routinely granted approval by the U.S.  Food and Drug Administration, while marijuana, which has a history of documented medical use that dates back thousands of years, allegedly requires further research.  Despite a relatively brief period on the market, the blatantly recreational drug Viagra has already killed more people than marijuana, a relatively harmless plant that has never been shown to cause an overdose death.

By raiding California's voter-approved medical marijuana clubs, the very same federal government that claims illicit drug use funds terrorism is forcing cancer and AIDS patients into the hands of street dealers.  Meanwhile, children as young as 2-years-old are routinely prescribed Ritalin, a prescription amphetamine similar to cocaine in effects.  So much for protecting the children from drugs.  One need only follow the money trail to find out why a given policy exists.

Please feel free to edit and publish.  Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, Robert Sharpe,

M.P.A.  Program Officer Drug Policy Alliance http://www.drugpolicy.org/