Pubdate: Thu, 05 Mar 2009
Source: Daily Forty-Niner (Cal State Long Beach, CA Edu)
Copyright: 2009 Daily Forty-Niner
Contact: http://www.daily49er.com/home/lettertotheeditor/
Website: http://www.daily49er.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1391
Author: Stan White
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n202/a05.html

DRUG PROGRAMS TELL MARIJUANA LIES

Another reason to re-legalize the relatively safe, socially
acceptable, God-given plant cannabis - marijuana - that doesn't get
mentioned in the Feb. 18 Daily Forty-Niner editorial "Battling
Marijuana Sends Our Money Up In Smoke" is that it will lower hard drug
addiction rates. Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, will have
to stop brainwashing youth into believing lies, half-truths and
propaganda concerning cannabis, which will lower deadly hard drug
addiction rates.

How many citizens try cannabis and realize it's not nearly as harmful
as taught in DARE-type government environments? Then they think other
substances must not be so bad either, only to become addicted to
deadly drugs. The old lessons provided make cannabis out to be among
the worst substances in the world, even though it's never killed a
single person.

The federal government even classifies cannabis as a Schedule I
substance along with heroin, while methamphetamine and cocaine are
only Schedule II substances. For the health and welfare of America's
children and adults, that message absolutely must change.

Regulated cannabis sales would make it so citizens who purchase
cannabis would not come into contact with people who often also sell
hard drugs, which would lower hard drug addiction rates, too.

Stan White

Dillon, Colo.
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