Pubdate: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 Source: Langley Advance (CN BC) Copyright: 2001 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc. Contact: http://www.langleyadvance.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1248 Author: Lee Eisenstein MARIJUANA: LEGISLATION IS THE KEY Dear Editor, In your response to Robert Sharpe's factually correct and informed letter [Weed worth its weight in gold, Aug.7 Feature Letter, Langley Advance News], you state, "let's talk about the possibility of legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use." No, let's instead talk about full legalization, with sensible regulation; no sales to children, as in Holland. Marijuana does not cause "memory loss," according to a U.S. Institute of Medicine report on the subject. Peer reviewed research indicates that cannabis consumption improves mental functioning later in life. The cannabanoids are the safest drugs in existence, peer reviewed research shows. Credible, peer reviewed research shows that the human brain creates these same drugs and uses them as the chemical conductor for thought. Prohibition is the slippery slope. You ask, "How will it be regulated?" Under prohibition there are no regulations. Lee Eisenstein Watsonville, CA, USA - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart