Pubdate: Fri, 21 Oct 2005
Source: Gainesville Sun, The (FL)
Copyright: 2005 The Gainesville Sun
Contact:  http://www.sunone.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/163
Author: Bruce Mirken
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1641/a03.html

GROUP IS NOT 'PRO POT'

A small clarification is required regarding The Sun's story on Rob
Kampia's talk at the University of Florida ("Pro-pot group pushes
marijuana reforms," Oct. 19).

The Marijuana Policy Project is not "pro-pot," as your headline
indicated. We do not advocate or encourage the use of any drug,
including marijuana. We simply believe that criminal prohibition has
completely failed as a means of reducing the harm associated with
marijuana, and in fact causes far more harm than it prevents.

Some 75 years ago, mothers and grandmothers organized to repeal the
prohibition on alcohol - not because they were "pro-booze," but
because they saw that the crime and violence prohibition created
threatened the lives of their children. Marijuana prohibition has had
much the same effect, and - for the health and safety of all of us -
needs to be replaced by a system of commonsense regulation.

Bruce Mirken, director of communications, Marijuana Policy Project

Washington, D.C.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin