Pubdate: Thu, 21 May 2009
Source: Des Moines Register (IA)
Copyright: 2009 The Des Moines Register.
Contact: http://DesMoinesRegister.com/help/letter.html
Website: http://desmoinesregister.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/123
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n502/a03.html

HANDLE MARIJUANA WITH TAX, REGULATION

Regarding editorial writer Andie Dominick's May 8 essay on medical marijuana:

Not only should medical marijuana be made available to patients in 
need, but adult recreational use should be regulated.

Drug policies modeled after alcohol prohibition have given rise to a 
youth-oriented black market. Dealers of illegal drugs don't ID for 
age, but they do recruit minors immune to adult sentences. So much 
for protecting the children.

Throwing more money at the problem is no solution. Attempts to limit 
the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant only 
increase the profitability of trafficking. For addictive drugs, such 
as heroin, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to 
increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war 
doesn't fight crime; it fuels crime.

Taxing and regulating marijuana, the most popular illicit drug, is a 
cost-effective alternative to a never-ending drug war. As long as 
marijuana distribution remains in the hands of organized crime, 
consumers will continue to come into contact with hard drugs such as 
cocaine and heroin. This "gateway" is a direct result of marijuana prohibition.

- - Robert Sharpe, policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy, Washington, D.C.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom