I am deeply disturbed by our government’s recent crackdown on marijuana consumers, and by the irrational misinformation campaign against cannabis use that has continued unabated for over 50 years.

Today, the major arguments against marijuana (also known as cannabis or hemp) are as follows: 1) Legalizing cannabis would create more users. 2) The potency of cannabis has increased and the plant is therefore more dangerous. 3) Cannabis is detrimental to health.

Here are the facts:

Marijuana was made legal in Holland in the late 60’s. According to H.W. Janssen, a narcotics officer in Herlen, Holland, the percentage of marijuana users fell dramatically after legalization.

Currently, about 1.5 percent of the Dutch population uses cannabis. The percentage of users in this country is at least 15 times larger.

According to a study published in the Kansas Law Review (Vol. 36), the percentage of THC in cannabis confiscated by the Drug Enforcement Agency has remained stable over the last ten years.

In 1981, the mean percentage of THC contained in confiscated plants was 2.92. By 1987, the mean percentage had actually dropped to 2.5. This proves government figures regarding potency have been greatly exaggerated.

According to NORMAL (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), our government has sponsored two long-term health studies on cannabis, one in Jamaica and one in Costa Rica.

The results of these studies are not widely known because they discovered marijuana users live longer than non-marijuana users. In more than 8000 years of known usage, no one has ever died from marijuana, yet we have over 400,000 deaths every year attributed to alcohol or tobacco.

Despite this evidence more than 300,000 people are arrested every year for violation of our marijuana laws, mostly for minor possession. When these people are jailed, it costs taxpayers $30,000 per year per prisoner.

If the government really wants to do something about drug abuse, it should go after the truly dangerous drugs, like alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, and heroin. Our country was founded on the principals of freedom. Must our Bill of Rights be revoked in the pursuit of a relatively harmless plant?

Ed Hassle

DeKalb Resident