If Americans and political leaders honestly care to lower heroin addiction rates ("War on heroin starts with teens," Feb. 27 and "Hogan creates two panels for fight against heroin," Feb. 25), they should end cannabis (marijuana) prohibition.
An important reason to end cannabis prohibition that doesn't get mentioned is because it increases hard drug addiction rates by putting citizens who choose to use the relatively safe God-given plant into contact with people who often also sell hard drugs.
Furthermore, government claims heroin is no worse than cannabis — and that methamphetamine and cocaine are less harmful drugs — by insisting marijuana is a Schedule I substance alongside heroin, while methamphetamine and cocaine are only Schedule II substances.
How many citizens tried cannabis and realized it is not nearly as dangerous as claimed and believed other substances must not be either, only to find themselves addicted to hard drugs? Can the message from cannabis prohibitionists be any worse for vulnerable citizens?
Stan White, Dillon, Colo.