Anti-Drug Warriors Are Ignorant

Dear Editor,
    Re: "Reefer Madness" [News, Nov. 17] by Jordan Smith: Of course drug czar John Walters has never rolled a joint! Federal drug warriors typically know very little about the subject of their alleged expertise. The emphasis on "drug-free" pasts ensures that those least knowledgeable about the effects of illegal drugs are in charge of enforcing laws against them. The primary hiring criterion for drug warriors is ignorance.
    There is a good reason millions of Americans prefer marijuana to martinis. Anyone who has experimented with both drugs knows that alcohol is far more dangerous. Alcohol drinkers who overindulge risk painful hangovers, loss of basic bodily functions, and even death. Marijuana smokers who overindulge risk wanting to take a nap. Like any drug, marijuana can be harmful if abused, but criminal records are inappropriate as health interventions and ineffective as deterrents.