GUZZLING BEER and wine on the links could soon be legal in Massachusetts if state lawmakers get their way ("Is alcohol par for the course?" City & Region, July 22). Many amateur golfers find alcohol to be a relaxing or refreshing addition to the game, and some more competitive players even use it to calm their nerves. Although such legislation is sure to appease folks who enjoy mixing rounds of golf with rounds of drinks, it has others worried. Some fear it would lead to more rowdy behavior and possibly damage to courses.

Let me recommend a potential solution: grass. Not grass like that on the green; the other "green": marijuana. As with alcohol, many adults use marijuana to relax and recreate. Yet it does not contribute to all the fighting, property damage, and other unpleasant behavior that often accompanies boozing. Sure, it may sound like a long shot now. But as more people come to realize marijuana is safer than alcohol, it's only a matter of time before laws prohibiting it are scratched and its use simply becomes par for the course.

MASON TVERT
Executive director, Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation
Denver

SAFER launched its "Cindy McCain: Drug Dealer" campaign yesterday and it has already received quite a bit of attention.

The Raw Story was first to break the news:

A group dedicated to legalizing marijuana use is launching a new campaign Tuesday aimed at pointing to hypocrisy in a country that could have as its first lady a woman who made millions selling a substance that's killed tens of thousands of people while purveyors of a relatively harmless herb are imprisoned.

Word of the campaign traveled quickly across the blogosphere -- including this interesting take from popular beltway gossip blog Wonkette -- and has already surfaced in the mainstream news with a Denver Post story. As a result, even Cindy's husband has heard about it: 

The McCain campaign declined to comment.

They may not have commented, but we all know what McCain's booze-fueled campaign was truly thinking: DRINK UP!

At a press conference today on Capitol Hill, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) made an impassioned case for his federal decriminalization bill, which would remove federal penalties for adult possession of up to 100 grams of marijuana.

A number of folks attended the event and spoke in favor of the bill, including reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Rob Kampia of the Marijuana Policy Project, Bill Piper of the Drug Policy Alliance, and Allen St. Pierre of NORML.

Kudos to Allen for getting a quote into the CNN story about the clear hypocrisy in how our country treats marijuana compared to alcohol, a much more harmful -- yet legal -- drug:

Allen St. Pierre, spokesman for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, likened Frank's proposal -- co-sponsored by Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas -- to current laws dealing with alcohol consumption. Alcohol use is permitted, and the government focuses its law enforcement efforts on those who abuse alcohol or drive under its influence, he said.

"We do not arrest and jail responsible alcohol drinkers," he said.