Kudos to Marijuana Is Safer coauthor and NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano, whose letter appears at the top of the letters section in the December 2009 issue of Playboy magazine:

Woody Harrelson's candidness about his use of marijuana is refreshing (The Playboy Interview, October). Were he imbibing in alcohol rather than cannabis during the interview it is unlikely anyone would have batted an eye. Yet our laws and culture arbitrarily embrace the former while condemning the latter. Last year 847,864 Americans were arrested for marijuana offenses; it is illogical and irrational to continue to waste taxpayers resources to punish people who, like Woody, relax with weed.

Paul Armentano is deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and coauthor of Marijuana Is Safer: So why are we driving people to drink?