Pubdate: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB) Copyright: 2011 Robert Sharpe. Contact: http://www.edmontonsun.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135 Author: Robert Sharpe Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v11/n584/a02.html Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor STIRRING THE POT Re: Mindelle Jacobs's Tuesday column. 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. Illegal drug dealers don't ID for age, but they do recruit minors immune to adult sentences. Taxing and regulating marijuana is a cost-effective alternative to a never-ending drug war. As long as marijuana distribution is controlled by organized crime, consumers will come into contact with hard drugs. This "gateway" is a result of marijuana prohibition. ROBERT SHARPE COMMON SENSE FOR DRUG POLICY (This topic remains a hot potato.) - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom