Pubdate: Thu, 17 Sep 2009
Source: FFWD (CN AB)
Copyright: 2009 FFWD
Contact:  http://www.ffwdweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1194
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n853/a05.html?1365

MARIJUANA SHOULD BE REGULATED LIKE BOOZE

'It Makes No Sense To Waste Tax Dollars On Failed Drug Policies'

Re: Personal toking and snorting legalized, by Gwynne Dyer, Sept. 
10-Sept.16, 2009.

There is a middle ground between drug prohibition and blanket 
legalization. Switzerland's heroin maintenance program has been shown 
to reduce disease, death and crime among chronic users. Providing 
addicts with standardized doses in a clinical setting eliminates many 
of the problems associated with illicit heroin use. The success of 
the Swiss program has inspired heroin maintenance pilot projects in 
Canada, Germany, Spain, Denmark and the Netherlands. If expanded, 
prescription heroin maintenance would deprive organized crime of a 
core client base. This would render illegal heroin trafficking 
unprofitable and spare future generations addiction.

Marijuana should be taxed and regulated like alcohol, only without 
the ubiquitous advertising. Separating the hard and soft drug markets 
is critical. As long as marijuana distribution is controlled by 
organized crime, consumers of the most popular illicit drug will 
continue to come into contact with sellers of addictive drugs like 
methamphetamine.

Marijuana is arguably safer than legal alcohol; it makes no sense to 
waste tax dollars on failed drug policies that finance organized 
crime and facilitate the use of hard drugs. Drug policy reform may 
send the wrong message to children, but I like to think the children 
are more important than the message.

For information on the efficacy of heroin maintenance, read the 
British Medical Journal report: 
bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/327/7410/310

To learn more about Canada's heroin maintenance research, visit naomistudy.ca .

Robert Sharpe, Common Sense for Drug Policy, Washington
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart