Pubdate: Sun, 29 Sep 2013
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO)
Copyright: 2013 St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/qFJNhZNm
Website: http://www.stltoday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/418
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n481/a02.html

TAX AND REGULATE MARIJUANA TO MAKE DRUG WAR OBSOLETE

Regarding Judge Julian Bush's commentary, "Make first-time drug 
possession a misdemeanor," 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 continues to spend enormous public resources 
criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis. The end 
result of this ongoing culture war is not lower rates of use.

The U.S. has higher rates of marijuana use than the Netherlands, 
where marijuana is legally available. Decriminalization is a long 
overdue step in the right direction. Taxing and regulating 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 hard drugs like methamphetamine, cocaine and 
heroin. Marijuana prohibition is a gateway drug policy.

Robert Sharpe * Washington

Policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom