‘Hazards to Your Health’

Your editorial was particularly refreshing. There are many things that people do which endanger their health, among which are the consumption of a variety of legal and illegal substances. It is undoubtedly the job of both society and the government to warn the public of these dangers, but perhaps people should be able to do what they want in the privacy of their homes, even if some of these things might not be in their absolute best interest. Your editorial listed a few items enjoyed by substance abusers: alcohol and salt. The list of legal substances which are regularly abused is long and no one, in their wildest dreams, would consider making them all illegal.

I think it is about time we added marijuana to the list of legal things we can do that aren’t good for us. Pot use may not be healthy, but its greatest danger to one’s health is getting caught and doing a stretch in jail. Well-intended, but overzealous legislatures have created a huge criminal class of otherwise law-abiding, honest citizens, who have not and obviously will not stop using pot, legal or not. They are supplied by a growing army of criminals who will never disappear as long as the demand exists, even if we unravel the foundation of our democracy in an effort to get at them. Perhaps our national health is best served by decriminalizing marijuana and allowing pot smokers to live as they wish.

MICHAEL GREENWALD

San Diego