Pubdate: Sat, 17 Jul 1999
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Contact:  http://www.smh.com.au/
Author: Kevin Fansler

DOPEY THOUGHTS ABOUT MARIJUANA

General Barry McCaffrey unremittingly claims that marijuana is a gateway
drug ("Clinton's drugs adviser supports Canberra stance", Herald, July 14).

All scientific studies that have addressed this issue have refuted that
marijuana is a gateway drug.

The drug war propagandists, by creating the fuzzy concept of a gateway
drug, are frantically countering the favourable publicity garnered by its
acceptance for medical uses.

Yes, youngsters who smoke marijuana are more likely to use cocaine than
those who have not smoked it. These marijuana users exhibit more
risk-taking behaviour than non-users and they often have ready access to
cocaine from the same dealers.

Most definitely, there is nothing in marijuana that forces a small
percentage of these marijuana users to try cocaine.

If General McCaffrey can claim that marijuana is a gateway drug, we could
claim that coffee, beer and cigarettes are gateways to cocaine. After all,
people who use these substances are more likely to use cocaine than non-users.

Yet, except for some rabid prohibitionists, nobody claims that these
substances are gateway drugs.

Let's face it, General McCaffrey's agenda is purely political and has
nothing to do with scientific truth.

Kevin Fansler, Havre de Grace (US)

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