Pubdate: Tue, 03 Mar 2015
Source: Baltimore Sun (MD)
Copyright: 2015 The Baltimore Sun Company
Contact:  http://www.baltimoresun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/37
Author: Stan White

FIGHT HEROIN BY LEGALIZING POT

If Americans and political leaders honestly care to lower heroin
addiction rates ("War on heroin starts with teens," Feb. 27 and "Hogan
creates two panels for fight against heroin," Feb. 25), they should
end cannabis (marijuana) prohibition.

An important reason to end cannabis prohibition that doesn't get
mentioned is because it increases hard drug addiction rates by putting
citizens who choose to use the relatively safe God-given plant into
contact with people who often also sell hard drugs.

Furthermore, government claims heroin is no worse than cannabis - and
that methamphetamine and cocaine are less harmful drugs - by insisting
marijuana is a Schedule I substance alongside heroin, while
methamphetamine and cocaine are only Schedule II substances.

How many citizens tried cannabis and realized it is not nearly as
dangerous as claimed and believed other substances must not be either,
only to find themselves addicted to hard drugs? Can the message from
cannabis prohibitionists be any worse for vulnerable citizens?

Stan White, Dillon, Colo.
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