Pubdate: Mon, 27 Dec 2004
Source: Valley Morning Star (TX)
Copyright: 2004 Valley Morning Star
Contact: http://www.valleystar.com/letters.php
Website: http://www.valleystar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/584
Author: Kirk Muse
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04.n1819.a05.html

MARIJUANA ISN'T ONE OF THE REAL KILLERS

Editor:

I'm writing about Robert Sharpe's outstanding letter, "The wrong
response to marijuana use" (Dec. 12).

I'd like to add that if health outcomes, instead of cultural norms,
determined drug laws, the first product criminalized would be tobacco,
the next alcohol, and then a long list of potentially unhealthy foods.

Our annual tobacco vs. marijuana kill ratio is about 400,000 to zero.
Our alcohol vs. marijuana kill ratio is about 100,000 to zero. And our
annual obesity vs. marijuana kill ratio is about 400,000 to zero.

So which obesity-causing foods should we criminalize first?

For our own good, of course.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin