Pubdate: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 Date: 10/28/1998 Source: Halifax Daily News (Canada) Author: Alun Buffry Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n947.a07.html To the editor: Well said, Dana Larsen (Letters, The Daily News, Oct. 20) "It (marijuana) is one of the safest herbs known to man, and if more people are using marijuana, then less of them are using one of these other, dangerously toxic drugs." The truth is coming out at last. The safety record of cannabis over the last few thousands years of use by hundreds of millions of people around the world, has been confirmed by every major official empirical and scientific study conducted this century. All the "Reefer Madness" claims have long been dismissed and cannabis is exonerated from harmfulness. So why is it still illegal to grow and use cannabis in almost every country in the world? Could there be some hidden motive behind cannabis prohibition rather than a concern over public health? Considering the huge number of dangerous substances readily available, even to kids, there is clearly a huge hypocrisy involved. Could it be the drug, alcohol, and tobacco companies who finance anti-drugs campaigns fear for their profits? The only result of these laws is the alienation and criminalization of otherwise law-abiding citizens and kids. Alun Buffry, Campaign to Legalize Cannabis International Association Norwich, Norfolk, England Via the Internet