SENSELESS WAR

Drug War As Ineffective As It Is Intrusive

The illegal drug trade is a major source of funding for organized
crime, and terrorism. Gazette readers should ask themselves two
questions: could they get illegal drugs now if they wanted, and is
the reason that they do not use dangerous illegal drugs today the
result of the drug's illegality?

Let's start to protect Americans from both terrorism and the
destruction of our Constitution by legalizing marijuana ("Officials
sniff at bid to legalize marijuana," The Gazette, Dec. 29). While a
minority of people might be harmed by it, marijuana is in fact less
harmful than aspirin. Enforcement of the current law harms more
people than does the drug. More than 770,000 people were arrested
last year for marijuana crimes, mostly possession.

Everyone should remember that cannabinoids reduce stress, lower blood
pressure, reduce pain, and protect the body from numerous autoimmune
diseases and cancer.

Dr. Robert Melamede

Associate professor and Biology chairman, retired

University of Colorado

Colorado Springs