Pubdate: Sun, 22 Apr 2001
Source: Register-Guard, The (OR)
Copyright: 2001 The Register-Guard
Contact:  http://www.registerguard.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/362
Author: Tom Radabaugh
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n634/a12.html

MAKE DRUG USE LEGAL

John English (letters, April 10) believes that continued rigid legal 
prohibition of marijuana will save our children. But if it remains illegal, 
then it will continue to be sold illegally without constraints. It is 
certainly easier for a child to buy pot than legal cigarettes (which will 
harm many more kids than pot), so it seems very clear then that to keep pot 
illegal only makes it more accessible to kids.

In case English is unaware, we long ago lost the "war on drugs."

Further, English's grasp of the economics of the dope trade is flawed. He 
says "dope dealers," among others, want legalization. The absolute worst 
disaster that could befall all phases of the illegal trade would be 
legalization. An ounce of pot would go from $300 to $20. If done legally, 
about $100 would produce enough heroin to keep all of Oregon's heroin users 
home and on the nod for months. Thus, legalization would end a 
multibillion-dollar, never-taxed currency drain, bring an unprecedented 
drop in property and drug-related violent crime. It would lower the cost of 
law enforcement, reduce court proceedings and end the staggering expense of 
incarceration of drug offenders.

English rejects as deluded the hundreds of thousands of Americans who 
represent all strata of society and who fervently believe that pot benefits 
them in the treatment and management of a broad spectrum of maladies. The 
chemically made stuff doesn't work. Ask anyone who's tried. Many 
"scientific studies" were performed and funded by those with agendas.

To save our children, we must end ignorance, denial and failed policies and 
acknowledge our problems with legal drugs, alcohol, nicotine, 
over-the-counter and mis-prescribed drugs to be equal to, if not exceeding, 
those of the illegal variety.

TOM RADABAUGH
Springfield
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