Pubdate: Wed, 06 Oct 2004 Source: Daily Iowan, The (IA Edu) Copyright: 2004 The Daily Iowan Contact: http://www.dailyiowan.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/937 Cited: Marijuana Policy Project http://www.mpp.org Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) POT PROHIBITION EQUALS BLOWING SMOKE Before getting all hyped up about the big "M" word - yes, marijuana - rest assured this is not a case radically calling for its complete legalization. Far from it. However, the contention that use of marijuana in limited amounts, without the intention to resell, should not be immediately punished with arrest is a viable one. It's far more sensible to sanction such an act with a simple citation than to treat it as a crime for which the offender can be incarcerated, as is the case in much of the United States. This is exactly what the Chicago police Sgt. Tom Donegan was trying to communicate when he proposed this policy. Moreover, Mayor Richard M. Daley has endorsed it in the interest of saving the courts from petty (but costly) cases that tend to be thrown out by judges anyway. Beyond this, there are numerous reasons to support the reform, not just in Chicago but on a national level. One concerns where society places its priorities in fighting crime. Given the choice between spending valuable resources to apprehend murderers and sexual predators versus jailing nonviolent pot users, the choice is a no-brainer. Handcuffing people caught smoking joints and sending them to the county jail is hardly rational when many such places already face severe problems with overcrowding (think Johnson County, Iowa). There is no doubt whether the use of marijuana is injurious to health and should be penalized in some form. Its surreptitious and illicit distribution is even more problematic. However, we should keep in mind that policies concerning pot use are similar to what once existed for alcohol use - specifically, the failed attempt to stop consumption of alcohol through Prohibition. The complete ban on booze led to the development of a black market in which gangsters often had the upper hand and the environment was a smog of crime and violence. The current situation seems to be a terrifying dejr' vu when considering the marijuana market, which looms as a dark and controversial issue in our society. Needless to say, the prohibition policy is collapsing once again right in front of our eyes. Strict laws and sentencing procedures do not necessarily mean less pot use and distribution. Government surveys show that nearly 100 million Americans have now used marijuana, an all-time record, and marijuana use by teenagers remains near record levels. The National Research Council looked at this data and concluded that stricter laws and tougher punishments have minimal effect on marijuana use. Furthermore, the Marijuana Policy Project argues that states should go even further, decriminalizing marijuana use and possession entirely, because no solid proof has been produced thus far showing a causal relationship between tough laws and lower marijuana use. Rather than employing extreme methods, as was once done with alcohol, it makes more sense to put into effect a system of regulation in which marijuana possession and use is a less-serious offense and can be controlled not through stiff jail time but through a simple fine. This will save time, money, and much-needed jail space. Smoking pot is not a violent crime; it shouldn't be treated as such. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake