Pubdate: Thu, 28 Aug 2014
Source: Deseret News (Salt Lake City, UT)
Copyright: 2014 Paul Armentano
Contact:  http://www.deseretnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/124
Author: Paul Armentano

CRIMINALIZING MARIJUANA

Public policies regulating alcohol and tobacco - two substances that
are objectively more harmful than marijuana - have proven to be far
more effective at reducing teens' access. Jay Evensen implies that
regulating the adult consumption of marijuana will lead to an uptick
in adolescents' access and use of the substance ("Marijuana acceptance
will lead to social costs," Aug. 21). He writes: Legalization
advocates "would prohibit use by anyone under 21, naively thinking
legalization for adults would not trickle down to teenagers."

Evensen presumes that criminalization of cannabis will somehow prevent
pot from trickling down into the hands of young people. However,
America's nearly 100-year experience with marijuana prohibition
demonstrates that this presumption to be incorrect.

By contrast, public policies regulating alcohol and tobacco - two
substances that are objectively more harmful than marijuana - have
proven to be far more effective at reducing teens' access. According
to federal government figures, self-reported alcohol consumption
within the past 30 days among 12th graders has fallen from 75 percent
in the late 1970s to 40 percent today. Tobacco use among 12th graders
has similarly dropped, from 28 percent in the 1990s to just 16 percent
today. These outcomes were not accomplished by instituting criminal
prohibition, but rather by legalization, regulation and public education.

Paul Armentano

Washington, D.C. 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D