Pubdate: Sat, 04 Jan 2014
Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune (MN)
Copyright: 2014 Star Tribune
Contact: http://www.startribunecompany.com/143
Website: http://www.startribune.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/266
Author: Don Anderson

REDUCE POVERTY, AND DRUG USE WILL DECLINE

A Jan. 3 commentary was headlined "Marijuana use dulls the mind" and 
argued that marijuana is a gateway drug as well. Both of those 
statements are also true for alcohol, especially in regard to young 
users, and alcohol is a legal drug for adults.

I'm neither in favor of nor opposed to marijuana legalization. I do 
know this, though: If we had spent as much money and time and energy 
on eliminating poverty and making education better as we have on 
trying to stop the use of marijuana (including what we've spent on 
drug agencies, prisons and housing prisoners, and on drug enforcement 
agencies) we would've greatly reduced the pockets of poverty in our 
country. Not only that, but in doing so we would most probably have 
done a better job of reducing drug use and or crime.

It should be obvious that poverty and lack of education do more to 
foster drug use than prisons do to stop it. It's way past time to 
stop the war on drugs and start a movement to reduce poverty and do 
much to foster a good education for all of our children.

DON ANDERSON, Minneapolis
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom