Pubdate: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 Source: Hamilton Spectator (CN ON) Copyright: The Hamilton Spectator 2001 Contact: http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/181 Author: Robert Sharpe Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n1421/a07.html END THE BLACK MARKET RE: 'Our marijuana laws still in the dark ages' (Aug. 4). Kudos to The Hamilton Spectator for an excellent editorial. Not only should medical marijuana be made available to those in need, but adult recreational use should be regulated as well. The reason is simple: leaving the distribution of popular recreational drugs in the hands of organized crime puts children at great risk. Unlike legitimate businesses that sell liquor, illegal drug dealers do not check IDs for age, but they do push profitable, addictive drugs like heroin when given the chance. Sensible regulation is desperately needed to undermine the thriving black market. Marijuana is the most popular illicit drug. Unlike alcohol, which kills thousands annually, marijuana has never been shown to cause an overdose death. Marijuana may be relatively harmless, but marijuana prohibition is deadly. Although there is nothing inherent in marijuana that compels users to try harder drugs, its black market status puts youth in contact with criminals who push them. Current drug policy is a gateway policy. As counterintuitive as it may seem, replacing marijuana prohibition with regulation would do a better job protecting children from drugs than the failed drug war. - -- Robert Sharpe, Program Officer, The Lindesmith Center Drug Policy Foundation, Washington, D.C. - --- MAP posted-by: