Pubdate: Sun, 13 Jul 2014
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA)
Copyright: 2014 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc
Contact:  http://www.philly.com/inquirer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/340
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n565/a04.html

LIGHT UP, AND LIGHTEN BURDEN OF DRUG WAR

Not only should medical marijuana be made available to patients in
need, but adult recreational use should be legal nationwide ("Drug
warriors," July 7).

In 2012, there were 749,825 marijuana arrests nationally, almost
90 percent for simple possession. This massive public expenditure
brands otherwise law-abiding citizens as criminals while providing
no societal benefit.

If the goal of marijuana prohibition is to subsidize violent drug
cartels, prohibition is a grand success. If the goal is to deter use,
it's a catastrophic failure, with a U.S. rate of marijuana use nearly
double that of the Netherlands, where pot is legal. With no basis in
science, the war on marijuana consumers is a failed cultural
inquisition.

Robert Sharpe, Common Sense for Drug Policy, Washington
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MAP posted-by: Matt