Pubdate: Mon, 05 May 2008
Source: Ventura County Star (CA)
Copyright: 2008 The E.W. Scripps Co.
Contact:  http://www.venturacountystar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/479
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n434/a04.html
Author: Clifford A. Schaffer

PROHIBITION NO SOLUTION

Re: Dr. Michael T. Jamison's April 27 commentary, "Medicinal 
marijuana at what cost?":

Dr. Jamison is confused about the argument related to alcohol. The 
argument is simply this: Just because something is dangerous doesn't 
mean that prohibition is the solution.

Why is alcohol legal? It isn't because alcohol is safe. Alcohol is 
clearly dangerous, more dangerous than marijuana by any standard of 
measure. But alcohol Prohibition didn't solve the alcohol problems, 
it only made them worse. Homicides skyrocketed. The Mafia got rich. 
Police corruption was so bad that they shipped convicted cops off to 
prison literally by the trainload. By 1925, arrests for public 
drunkenness and similar crimes were already above the pre-Prohibition 
records. Worst of all was the effect on children. Alcohol Prohibition 
produced the biggest teen drinking epidemic ever seen among U.S. children.

The only reason alcohol is legal is because we proved conclusively 
that Prohibition only drives the problems underground and makes them 
worse. The lesson is about Pprohibition, not alcohol.

Even if Jamison had made the right diagnosis of the social problem, 
he missed the correct treatment. He needs to go back to the books. He 
can start with major studies of drugs and drug policy at 
http://druglibrary.org/schaffer. This collection includes the full 
text of every major government commission report on marijuana from 
around the world in the last 100 years. In short, they say that 
marijuana prohibition was based on racism, ignorance and nonsense, 
and that it causes more harm than good. He should also read the short 
history of marijuana laws at 
http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/whiteb1.htm It is both funny 
and fascinating.

If he wants a better understanding of the problems of modern drug 
policy in general, I suggest he start with the "Consumers Union 
Report on Licit and Illicit Drugs" at 
http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/cu/cumenu.htm. It is 
the best overall review of the subject ever written. He will find 
surprises on every page.

- -- Clifford A. Schaffer, Director, Schaffer Library of Drug Policy, Agua Dulce
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom