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Newshawk: http://www.drugwarfacts.org
Votes: 0
Pubdate: Thu, 20 Jun 2013
Source: Pocono Record, The (Stroudsburg, PA)
Copyright: 2013 Pocono Mountains Media Group
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/PEKmDRjJ
Website: http://www.poconorecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4529
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n246/a02.html
DRUG DECRIMINALIZATION IS IN ORDER FOR THE U.S.
Editor, the Record:
Regarding Jess Hunter-Bowman's June 3 op-ed, the drug war is largely
a war on marijuana smokers. In 2011, there were 757,969 marijuana
arrests in the United States, almost 90 percent for simple
possession. At a time when state and local governments are laying off
police, firefighters and teachers, this country wastes resources
criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis. The end
result is not lower rates of use.
The United States has higher rates of marijuana use than the
Netherlands, where marijuana is legal. Decriminalization is a step in
the right direction. Legalizing marijuana would render the drug war
obsolete. As long as violent drug cartels control marijuana
distribution, consumers will continue to come into contact with
sellers of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. Marijuana prohibition
is a gateway drug policy. The plant itself is comparatively harmless.
Marijuana prohibition is deadly.
ROBERT SHARPE
Policy analyst
Common Sense for Drug Policy
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom
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