MARIJUANA NOT 'SAFE'

In his March 8 letter, "Prohibition-related crime is top threat,"
Stan White writes in part, "roughly half of all Canadians support
legalizing, regulating and taxing the relatively safe, extremely
popular God-given plant cannabis."

I would suggest that many Canadians do not realize the dangers of
using the harmful, possibly addictive drug marijuana.

If the adult population needs to use the drug so be it, but don't
promote it as a safe drug. What are you saying to our youth?

Health Canada states, "Short-term use of cannabis can produce
drowsiness, mild paranoia, anxiety or panic. Impaired reaction time,
coordination and motor skills. Increased heart rate and decrease in
blood pressure (may lead to fainting). Cannabis, either alone or in
combination with alcohol is a factor in many injuries and
unintentional deaths."

Marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 per cent more carcinogenic
hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke.

Eric Myrholm