Pubdate: Mon, 19 May 2014 Source: New Haven Register (CT) Copyright: 2014 New Haven Register Contact: http://www.nhregister.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/292 Author: Dave Lane Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n397/a09.html Page: A8 MANKIND SURVIVED WHEN DRUGS WERE LEGAL Letter writer Ron Johnson proves that cannabis causes irrational and illogical thinking in those who don't use it. His statement about it being a "gateway drug" has been thoroughly disproven. Using his logic one could deduce that nearly 100 percent of heroin addicts drank milk as a child, so milk must be a gateway drug. Recent studies have provided that cannabis use does not cause cancer, so his statements about health consequences are similarly off base. The truth is the only reason anyone dies of a heroin overdose is because of prohibition. If they could buy this drug from legal sources with known purity and accurate dosage information overdoses would disappear. All drugs were legal for all of history until the last 100 years and mankind found a way to survive, largely by exercising personal responsibility. Ron seems to think that if drugs are re-legalized everyone will use them. Of course this is untrue and most of us would benefit by not having black market dealers who target our kids and use violence to enforce their market share. - - Dave Lane Santa Cruz, Calif. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt