Pubdate: Mon, 06 Jan 2014
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2014 The Washington Post Company
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/mUgeOPdZ
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: John Engelman
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n010/a05.html

THE RISKS AND REWARDS OF POT'S NEW STATUS

Ruth Marcus acknowledged that marijuana is less dangerous than 
cigarettes and alcohol; having lost a much-loved relative to lung 
cancer, I agree. Then she said that if marijuana is legalized, use 
among teenagers is likely to increase and that marijuana impairs the 
IQ development of teenagers.

This may be true, but the only people I have known whose lives were 
damaged by marijuana had their lives damaged by being arrested for 
possession of the drug for private use. I have never heard of someone 
dying from an overdose of marijuana. It does not make people violent. 
If it is a gateway to hard drugs, this is because a drug dealer who 
can sell someone marijuana may also be able sell that person hard 
drugs. That gate will close if marijuana can be purchased legally in 
drug stores and liquor stores.

John Engelman,

Wilmington, Del.
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