Pubdate: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 Source: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (TX) Copyright: 2008 Star-Telegram Operating, Ltd. Contact: http://www.star-telegram.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/162 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n629/a07.html Author: Robert Sharpe LIVING IN THE PAST Regarding Tom Pauken's commentary (See: "Time to do something -- again -- about drug use in this country," June 29), the drug war is in large part a war on marijuana, by far the most popular illicit drug. The illegal status of marijuana may serve to glamorize it among rebellious youth. The University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future Study reports that lifetime use of marijuana is higher in the U.S. than any European country, yet America is one of the few Western countries that punishes those citizens who prefer marijuana to martinis. The short-term health effects of marijuana are inconsequential compared to the long-term effects of criminal records. Unfortunately, marijuana represents the counterculture to many Americans. In subsidizing the prejudices of culture warriors, government is subsidizing organized crime. The only clear winners in the war on marijuana are drug cartels and shameless tough-on-drugs politicians. The big losers are the taxpayers who have been deluded into believing big government is the appropriate response to nontraditional consensual vices. Robert Sharpe, policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy, Washington - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake