Pubdate: Tue, 24 Nov 2015 Source: Boston Herald (MA) Copyright: 2015 The Boston Herald, Inc Contact: http://news.bostonherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53 Note: Prints only very short LTEs. Author: Stan White Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n654/a07.html PARANOID OVER POT I'm sure that Barnstable County Sheriff James M. Cummings means well ("Cops: Legal pot 'makes no sense'," Nov. 16). However, the cannabis (marijuana) "gateway theory" was discredited over a decade ago, and even the prohibitionist federal government stopped making that claim. Cannabis is no more likely to lead to heroin addiction than beer or milk. The prohibition of cannabis, on the other hand, has been associated with increased hard-drug addiction rates - by, among other things, putting cannabis users in contact with people who may also sell hard drugs including heroin. Caging responsible adults who choose to use the relatively safe cannabis is what "makes no sense." - - Stan White, Dillon, Colo. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom