Letter: Truth is out on marijuana myths

Friday, Aug. 17, 2001 | 4:35 a.m.

Regarding the Sun's Aug. 13 editorial on Nevada's medical marijuana law, Congress needs to show leadership on the issue, which 70 percent of Americans support.

The reefer-madness myths have long been discredited, forcing the drug war gravy train to spend millions of tax dollars on politicized research, trying to find harm in a relatively harmless plant. Meanwhile, research that might demonstrate the medical efficacy of marijuana is consistently blocked.

The direct experience of millions of Americans contradicts the sensationalistic myths used to justify marijuana prohibition. Illegal drug use is the only public health issue wherein key stakeholders are not only ignored, but actively persecuted and incarcerated.

In terms of the recent Supreme Court ruling mentioned in the Aug. 13 editorial, those stakeholders happen to be cancer and AIDS patients.

ROBERT SHARPE Washington, D.C. Editor's note: The writer is program officer for the Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy Foundation, a drug policy research institute that supports marijuana for medical uses.