Pubdate: Sat, 08 May 2010 Source: Record, The (Stockton, CA) Copyright: 2010 The Record Contact: http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=A_OPINION05 Website: http://www.recordnet.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/428 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n320/a08.html Author: Stan White POT IS SAFER THAN TOBACCO In case readers are unaware, there's good reason to put tight restrictions on cigarettes and decrease restrictions on marijuana ("In a daze over pot legalization," April 27, The Record). Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances on Earth, while cannabis is less addictive than coffee. America sells cigarettes legally, so users are free to use the product if they choose with restrictions, while cannabis users are persecuted, caged and discriminated against. Further, the letter writer referred to cannabis as a "drug," but if a person holds some in their hand, it's easy to see it's a 100 percent pure plant, while cigarettes are allowed to contain hundreds of deadly, man-made chemicals. Cigarettes kill over 1,000 Americans daily, while in over 5,000 years of documented use, cannabis hasn't killed a single person. That's safety on a biblical scale. Stan White Dillon, Colo. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake