
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 10, 1992                   TAG: 9203100389
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

MANY BENEFITS FROM LEGALIZING DRUGS

NOW IS THE time to legalize drugs! John Kell (letter, Feb. 21) was brave enough to state his opinion. If drugs are legal, police can do a better job of keeping drugs out of the wrong hands, and counselors will have more money to treat those who need help.

If our own tobacco farmers could grow hemp (pot) legally, alternative fuels such as vegetable oil would be very competitive with crude oil. No wonder George Bush (Mr. Oilman) won't discuss this issue. National forests would not have to be clear-cut anymore, because one acre of hemp is equivalent to 20 acres of pine. This newspaper could be made out of pot fiber, and my children would have national forests like I used to remember! MICHAEL EWEN ROANOKE

by CNB