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THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA DEBATE

Regarding Nathan Riley's July 21 column: if health outcomes determined drug laws, instead of cultural norms, marijuana would be legal.  Unlike alcohol, marijuana has never been shown to cause an overdose death, nor does it share the addictive properties of tobacco.  Marijuana can be harmful if abused, but jail cells are inappropriate as health interventions and ineffective as deterrents.  The first marijuana laws were enacted in response to Mexican migration during the early 1900s, despite opposition from the American Medical Association.

By raiding voter-approved medical marijuana providers in California, the very same Bush administration that claims illicit drug use funds terrorism is forcing cancer and AIDS patients into the hands of street dealers.  Apparently marijuana prohibition is more important than protecting the country from terrorism.

Robert Sharpe Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C.