Pubdate: Wed, 29 Jan 2003
Source: Tacoma News Tribune (WA)
Copyright: 2003 Tacoma News Inc.
Contact:  http://www.tribnet.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/442
Author: Jim Schmidt

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA AND 'GATEWAY' WILL DISAPPEAR

Re: "Early marijuana use may indeed lead to harder drugs" (TNT, 1-22).

When one buys marijuana, one must go to a dealer who as often as not is 
supporting his own habit of marijuana or stronger drugs. Thus those other 
drugs are available as well to the buyer. If people had to go to a drug 
dealer to buy beer or liquor, this same "gateway" would be available to 
them. If they had to buy pool chemicals from a drug dealer, again the 
gateway would be there.

There are numerous studies showing that marijuana use is not as harmful to 
the body and less addictive than alcohol. When this country wakes up from 
its hypocrisy and allows marijuana to be sold over the counter the way 
alcohol is, the "gateway" will disappear.

Jim Schmidt

Tacoma
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MAP posted-by: Alex