Pubdate: Mon, 05 Apr 2004 Source: Providence Journal, The (RI) Copyright: 2004 The Providence Journal Company Contact: http://www.projo.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/352 Author: Robert Sharpe Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n498/a02.html XENOPHOBIA AND MARIJUANA Regarding Joycelyn Elders's excellent March 26 Commentary piece, "Myths about medical marijuana": Lost in the debate over medical marijuana is the ugly truth behind marijuana prohibition. America's marijuana laws are based on xenophobia, not science. The country's first marijuana laws were enacted in response to Mexican immigration, in the early 1900s -- despite opposition from the American Medical Association. Dire warnings that marijuana inspires homicidal rages proved counterproductive at best. Many non-Hispanic Americans did not even smoke marijuana until the government began funding Reefer Madness propaganda. The sensationalist myths have long been discredited -- forcing the drug-war gravy train to spend millions of tax dollars on politicized research, in which harm is sought in a relatively harmless plant. The experience of millions of Americans contradicts the outrageous claims used to justify marijuana prohibition. Illegal drug use is the only public-health issue wherein the key stakeholders are not simply ignored but actively persecuted. In terms of medical marijuana, those stakeholders happen to be people with cancer and AIDS. ROBERT SHARPE Washington The writer is policy analyst for the interest group Common Sense for Drug Policy. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh