Pubdate: Tue, 10 Dec 2013
Source: Baltimore Sun (MD)
Copyright: 2013 The Baltimore Sun Company
Contact:  http://www.baltimoresun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/37
Author: Paul Armentano
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n568/a03.html

LEGALIZATION IS THE BEST WAY TO REDUCE THE RISKS OF POT

In response to Nancy Starr's recent letter, those of us who advocate 
for a regulated, aboveboard cannabis market do not argue that the use 
of marijuana by adults is not without potential risks or that it 
cannot be abused by some people ("Don't legalize pot," Nov. 30).

But acknowledging the potential risks does not justify the 
substance's continued criminalization. In fact, just the opposite is true.

There are numerous adverse health consequences associated with 
alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs, all of which are far more 
dangerous and costlier to society than cannabis.

It is precisely because of these consequences that such products are 
legally regulated and their use is restricted to specified consumers 
and settings.

Similarly, a pragmatic regulatory framework that allows for the 
legal, licensed commercial production and sale of cannabis to adults, 
and restricts its use among young people, is the best way to reduce 
the risks associated with the plant's use - especially when coupled 
with a legal environment that fosters open, honest dialogue between 
parents and children about cannabis' potential harms.

By contrast, the current criminalization of cannabis only compounds 
these risks.

Paul Armentano, Washington, D.C.

The writer is deputy director of the National Organization for the 
Reform of Marijuana Laws.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom