By Mikki Norris Source: San Francisco Chronicle As we prepare to go to war with Iraq and continue fighting terrorism at home, it is appalling that the federal Drug Enforcement Administration has chosen to step up the attacks on businesspeople by going after pipe- and bong- makers and sellers ("U.S. raids firms selling items used by pot smokers," Feb. 25). Where are the government's priorities? Let's waste some more resources on "Operation Pipe Dreams"! The message the DEA and Office of National Drug Control Policy send by going after "paraphernalia" (pipe) sellers is that the drug warriors have too much time on their hands and too much money to spend. This latest move is another misguided action stemming from their policy to demonize cannabis consumers, and it shows just how intellectually and morally bankrupt they are. The drug warriors raided last week all of the "easy" targets, including three individuals from the Bay Area as well as Chong Glass of Los Angeles, owned by actor-comedian Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong fame. But makers and sellers of artistic glass pipes and bongs are not the enemy. Our country is on heightened terror alert status as we head toward a foreign war that could bring even more serious repercussions to our shores. How appropriate is it to use law enforcement officers to seek out these artists, craftspeople and business entrepreneurs? Not at all! It is difficult to decipher the DEA's muddled thinking: "Hey, there are some people using medical marijuana legally under state law! We better go after the sick and, oh, yeah, imprison all their cannabis providers! And take their pipes, too, so they can't take their medicine. Our national security depends on it." "Drug Czar" John Walters is living in his own dazed delusions. He is so blinded by his mission to scapegoat marijuana users for society's ills that he cannot see that marijuana prohibition and the need to get tough on the smoking utensils is a frivolous waste of our tax dollars and law-enforcement resources. Mikki Norris is director of Cannabis Consumers Campaign --http://www.cannabisconsumers.org -- which attempts to give an accurate image of people who use marijuana. She is co-author of "Shattered Lives: Portraits from America's Drug War" (Creative Xpressions, 2000). Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/mikki.htm Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA) Author: Mikki Norris Published: Wednesday, March 5, 2003 Copyright: 2003 San Francisco Chronicle - Page A - 25 Contact: letters@sfchronicle.com