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PROHIBITING MARIJUANA IS GATEWAY TO HARDER DRUGS

When Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed calls marijuana a "gateway" drug, he confuses the collateral damage caused by marijuana prohibition with the plant itself.

Consumers who purchase legal wine or beer at a state-controlled store are not offered cocaine during the transaction.

As long as drug cartels control marijuana distribution, marijuana consumers will continue to come into contact with sellers of hard drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin.

Marijuana prohibition is a gateway drug policy.  This major drug war failure is no reason to throw good money after bad drug policy.

Taxing and regulating marijuana would provide consumers with a healthier alternative to alcohol and close the gateway to hard drugs by taking marijuana distribution out of the hands of violent drug cartels.

Marijuana might be relatively harmless, but marijuana prohibition is deadly

ROBERT SHARPE Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C.