Pubdate: Tue, 14 Jul 2009 Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA) Copyright: 2009 San Jose Mercury News Contact: http://www.mercurynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n700/a07.html Author: Robert Sharpe POT LAWS BURDEN LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS Regarding Scott Herhold's column (Page 1B, July 12), marijuana prohibition has done little other than burden millions of otherwise law-abiding citizens with criminal records. The University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future Study reports that lifetime use of marijuana is higher in the United States than any European country, yet America is one of the few Western countries that use its criminal justice system to punish citizens who prefer marijuana to martinis. Unfortunately, marijuana represents the counterculture to many Americans. Robert Sharpe Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake