Pubdate: Sun, 14 Jun 2015
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2015 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n312/a01.html

GOVERNMENT'S POT DECEPTION

Re "What happened to the pot stigma?," Opinion, June12

Seth Leibsohn and former U.S. drug czar William J. Bennett give the 
"marijuana lobby" far too much credit for the growing support for 
marijuana law reform.

It's really simple: Most young adults have personally tried 
marijuana. In doing so, they could not help but realize that our 
government has been lying about marijuana for decades. Marijuana is 
not nearly as dangerous (or exciting) as government propaganda suggests.

The so-called marijuana lobby is a recent development resulting from 
successful state ballot initiatives to tax and regulate marijuana. 
Legal businesses that pay taxes and take profits away from violent 
drug cartels are the end result.

It's personal experience that has led a majority of Americans to 
rightly conclude that marijuana is safer than alcohol and does not 
merit a criminal justice response.

Robert Sharpe

Washington The writer is a policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy.
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