Dear FRONTLINE,

I have many friends that prefer the pleasures associated with marijuana to that of alcohol. And to tell you the truth I prefer their company as well. It would be very interesting to discover the amount of alcohol abuse in the law enforcement community. Everyone has a drug of choice, the questions lies in which ones are harmful to the community.

I foresee in roads towards the decriminalization of marijuana in my life time. I have known many people that have "experimented" with marijuana and there attitudes differ greatly from the "just say no" crowd.

John Dilger
Merrimack, NH

Dear FRONTLINE,

The anti-pot jihad is simply madness. Every day I see healthy, responsible, sucessful people who are marijuana users. They are good citizens, able workers, and operators of thriving businesses. They are responsible with their habits, keeping it away from minors, and of course eschewing its use when at work, or when use will affect work.

I am a vocal advocate for children and education; I don't support D.A.R.E. programs precisely because it misinforms and frightens kids about the use of marijuana by adults.

The government should desist in this "war" on a benign, social euphoric. If tobacco and alcohol vanished, leaving only pot in their place, we would be on our knees giving thanks for the improvement in our society.

Rich Levy

Dear FRONTLINE,

All that money spent fighting marijuana could have been better spent educating kids. Beating up people because they use marijuana seems to be the norm. What kind of message do we send our youth when we do this? And then we wonder why our children think that violence is the answer to our problems. This is one problem that desrves understanding not brutality.

The biggest problem with marijuana is that it doesn't serve the corporate world. By that I mean that corporate America can't make a buck on the crop. Growers and users tend to be independent souls. In revolutionary times they would have been freebooters.

Just remember - this war is funded by our tax dollars. So much money and nothing to show for it.

Brian Bennett
N. Sioux City, SD

Dear FRONTLINE,

After watching the show tonight, I am ashamed and highly upset at the way the Elected Politicians abuse and misinform the citizens of this Country solely to get the almighty vote. It's time for a change, and I intend to do so with my vote. The Marijuana laws are wrong.

Jay Helmers

Dear FRONTLINE,

The social and economic impact of current laws is excessive. The cost of enforcement programs is excessive.

Punishment for marijuana offenses should be more flexible.

Tom Farmer
Fairbanks, AK

Dear FRONTLINE,

The Frontline piece "Busted" confirms that the federal mandatory minimum sentencing laws are completely outrageous and devoid of common sense and equity. The same can be said of the thirteen states that impose life sentences for marijuana offenses. Like-minded voters can do their part by removing the zealots who support these laws from office; jurors should send an unambiguous message to prosecutors and legislators alike by refusing to sit for trials under such laws.

James McCabe
New York, NY

Dear FRONTLINE,

I am of the opinion that current marijuana laws have crossed over into the realm of the ridiculous. I agree that those who sell should be punished, but only on a case by case basis. As far as users go, we have crossed yet again into the area of whether or not it is right for the government to tell people what they can or can not do with their bodies in the privacy of their own homes. I would like to ask those who are so against marijuana how much alchohol they drink. If the situation were reversed would we not be in the same position? The legality of marijuana is really beside the point. I for one am sick and tired of the government trying to enforce morality on the supposedly free American People.

Michael Walden

Dear FRONTLINE,

Marijuana laws have become this generations "witch hunts" that were prevelant centuries ago. The number of people who have had to go underground over the past 20 years in regards to using pot because of the harsh laws is probably higher then is realized. I have never encountered a "jerk" who was using pot and in fact they usually had a very holistic attitude about them and cared about their family and country deeply. I don't know if it was marijuana that that caused that or if they were destined to have that personality. I feel it is a real injustice what the powers are doing to real people who use pot for their own enjoyment.

John Rasmssen
Waukesha, WI

Dear FRONTLINE,

We have "virtual reality", marijuana is

associated with "virtual crimes".

I have a simple theory on marijuana and the

"law". The laws are funded by a threatened liquor industry with infinite financial

resources. A change in marijuana law would cause massive unemployment in the law enforcement and prison sectors.

I am over 55 and do not expect to see any profound change in my lifetime.

Bob Cronmiller
Erie, PA

Dear FRONTLINE,

The program made no mention of the positive impact on the environment that marijuana has. There are over 1,000 uses of the plant, most of which would have benefits to our soceity as a whole and our environment. It can be used for a whole lot more than just smoking. Nicotene, alcohol, prozac, prenezone, morphine, riddilin-all of these drugs are just as harmful if not more harmful than they are benefitial. Yet the owners of drug companies argue for the freedom to use these drugs so that their wallets get fatter. Talk about pressuring people into doing drugs! If you can smoke tobacco, take asprin, drink coffee, than you should have the right to choose ANYTHING that goes into your body. Foreign countries that have legalized drugs find that use among children DECREASES with legalization. Awareness of the pros/cons of drugs HEIGHTENS! Prisons become less crowded, families stay together. Countries that don't see drug-users as being an enemy don't declare "war" on them. They find a win-win situation. THAT is democracy, THAT is freedom in it's most feasible form, THAT is the principal that our country was founded on.

Lauren Withers
Holliston, ma

Dear FRONTLINE,

Decriminalize it-Package it and tax the hell out of it.

It'll probably bring in a lot more than 2.5 billion a year.

Either that or make ALL drugs prescription included illegal. I know because I am an addict of prescription drugs because I believed my doctors.

Prohibition didn't work-the marijuana war won't either.

Joanne McCamont

Dear FRONTLINE,

Most Users or Growers in today's society are

not like the Crack users,cocaine users,or herione users. I think that most people who

are only pot users or growers are usually not

criminal's and are not giving it to there

children to use, in fact most don't want their children to know because they want then to make thier own choice's. In other word's I

feel like that the law's are way too hard on regular people who grow or use. It is the one's that are out there pushing other things

along with pot that are trouble. I feel like

if the person isn't hurting anyone else and not pushing it on their kids leave them alone. As far as for a medical use it works and they should allow someone to prove this.

Really if the goverment work back off these harmless people and buckle down on the harder drugs we will never get rid of the people with the true drug problems. The herione, coke and crack users are the problem. Wake up! Someone really needs to look at all the facts. Most of the DEA agents interveiwed even said they are a different breed, not anything like the hard drug users and they are so right. The most straight person you might know probably smokes and you would never know it. I don't but alot of people I know do and they are dealers and they are just plain people that would not comment crimes or hurt a flea. Thanks for letting me speak.

Christine Doublestein

Dear FRONTLINE,

Decrimialization seems to be a little bit more fair than stuffing people in already over crowded jails.

I can't stand the assumpution that pot use leads to heavier drugs. Most of the pot users I know are the closet type with jobs and families and prefer it over liquor.

The war on drugs is kind of ironic considering that this country must have the largest amount of people looking for the pill that will fix everything in there lives from dexatrim to prozac. Drug free America have an Advil instead!?@#$

Tom Buckley

Dear FRONTLINE,

This is the way it is: there is use and there is abuse, or, if you prefer, self-control & lack thereof. If you cannot differentiate between the two, you should not use marijuana, cocaine, tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, or heroine; nor should you jog runner's high, use a chainsaw or large knives. A car is a terrible danger to society in the hands of someone who cannot control it, regardless of influence by drugs or alcohol, which often do not help. It is up to the individual to learn and exercise self-control in any situation.

Timothy McMullen

Dear FRONTLINE,

As a regular recreational user of marijuana for over thirty years I find it amazing that so many americans still cling to foolish phobias regarding pot. Yes pot is a drug like caffine, nicotine, alcohol , cocaine , heroin, and asprin. Each drug has an abuse potential that varies from one to the other. It is obvious that marijuanas abuse potential is considerably lower than most of the other drugs many of which are presently legal and unrestrictedie. tobaco, and alcohol and the resulting physical toll of its use is virtually insignificant. The profile of the victims demonstrates clearly that marijuana users are as intelligent, hard working , tax paying, and productive as anyone else in their community. It is plain to see that the only negative effects of its use are the insane laws prohibiting its use which can cause much more detrement and harm than the smoking the weed ever will. It high time america grew up and injected some reason into the legal system. Legalize Marijuana Now

J. Gutierrez
Miami, FL