Pubdate: Fri, 28 May 2004 Source: Japan Times (Japan) Copyright: 2004 The Japan Times Contact: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/755 Author: Kirk Muse Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n747/a10.html BENIGHTED U.S. ANTIDRUG LAWS Thank you for publishing Doug Bandow's outstanding May 16 article, "U.S. drug laws threaten public health." (http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?eo20040516db.htm) I'd like to add that U.S. antimarijuana laws are counterproductive. By keeping marijuana as a criminalized product, we often expose marijuana users to sellers of more dangerous drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. Most marijuana users are interested only in marijuana and no other recreational drugs. However, they are often offered free samples of other, much more dangerous drugs by marijuana sellers. Thus the "gateway effect" is caused by marijuana criminalization policies -- not marijuana itself. My advice to Japan and the rest of the world: Carefully observe U. S. drug policy, then do the opposite. We're lost. KIRK MUSE Mesa, Arizona - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D