Pubdate: Sun, 09 Dec 2012
Source: Evansville Courier & Press (IN)
Copyright: 2012 The Evansville Courier Company
Contact:  http://www.courierpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/138
Author: Robert Sharpe

POT COMMENT SHOWED WISDOM

Indiana State Police Superintendent Paul Whitesell should be commended
for speaking out against drug war failure. Police time spent arresting
marijuana consumers is police time not spent going after child
molesters, rapists and murderers -- real crimes with real victims. If
the goal of marijuana prohibition is to subsidize drug cartels,
prohibition is a success. The drug war distorts supply and demand
dynamics so that big money grows on little trees. If the goal of
marijuana prohibition is to deter use, prohibition is a failure. The
United States has double the rate of marijuana use as the Netherlands,
where marijuana is legal. The criminalization of Americans who prefer
marijuana to martinis has no basis in science. The war on marijuana
consumers is a failed cultural inquisition, not an evidence-based
public health campaign. It's time to stop the arrests and instead tax
legal marijuana.

Robert Sharpe is a policy analyst with Common Sense for Drug Policy.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt