Pubdate: Thu, 28 Jan 2016 Source: New Haven Register (CT) Copyright: 2016 New Haven Register Contact: http://www.nhregister.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/292 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v16/n046/a10.html Author: Stan White DEMONIZING MARIJUANA NOT HELPFUL Jerry Cunningham (Letter: Discourage demand for drugs, Jan. 24) must not be aware the discredited D.A.R.E. program is history because studies (including government studies) indicated it caused more drug use than no anti-drug program at all. One of the ways it increased hard drug addiction rates is by claiming cannabis (marijuana) was the worst "drug." It parroted prohibitionist government's laughable notion that cannabis is a Schedule I substance alongside heroin, while meth and cocaine are only Schedule II substances. How many Americans were taught heroin is no worse than cannabis and when they tried cannabis thought hard drugs must not be so bad, either, only to find themselves suddenly addicted to hard drugs? Prohibiting the relatively safe, extremely popular God-given plant and labeling it alongside heroin creates contempt for drug laws and the farce must end for hard drug addiction rates to diminish. - - Stan White Dillon, Colorado - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom