Pubdate: Mon, 22 Jun 2015
Source: Boston Globe (MA)
Copyright: 2015 Globe Newspaper Company
Contact: http://services.bostonglobe.com/news/opeds/letter.aspx?id=6340
Website: http://bostonglobe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/52
Author: Evan Falchuk
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n332/a11.html

PUSH TOWARD LEGALIZATION IS CAUSE FOR GOOD SENSE, NOT HAND-WRINGING

Opioid addiction is a crisis, and stories of young people dying from 
these drugs are heartbreaking. However, Meredith Warren's column 
linking these tragedies to legalization of marijuana for adult use is 
ill-informed and unhelpful ("The opioid battle is lost when marijuana 
is legalized," Opinion, June 18).

For many opioid victims, these drugs were not the first they used. 
Whether it's alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or something else, there is 
a correlation between using one drug and using another. But this does 
not mean that one caused use of the other, and there is scant 
scientific evidence that for adults marijuana is a gateway drug.

Indeed, the much stronger evidence is that marijuana use is common, 
and does not lead to addiction. According to the National Institute 
on Drug Abuse, 91 percent of people can use marijuana without 
becoming addicted. Alcohol is nearly twice as addictive, and nicotine 
is more than three times as addictive. That so many people's 
experience with marijuana matches these statistics helps explain why 
legalization for adult use is so popular. Given the likelihood that 
voters will make this change in the law next year, lawmakers should 
start working now on how it will be implemented. A good start would 
be a rational and accurate presentation of the facts.

Evan Falchuk, Auburndale

The writer is chairman of the United Independent Party.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom