Pubdate: Wed, 06 Apr 2016
Source: Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ)
Copyright: 2016 The Arizona Republic
Contact: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/sendaletter.html
Website: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/24
Author: Douglas Page
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v16/n213/a09.html

CRITICS' WEAK ARGUMENTS FOR KEEPING MARIJUANA ILLEGAL

Here we go again with another diatribe by Sheila Polk and friends 
against the legalization of marijuana (Our Turn column, April 4; 
letters, Feb. 13).

Sheila Polk is making sure that the USA keeps its lead for having the 
highest incarceration rate in the world by helping to continue the 
draconian laws that lead to arresting people for marijuana use even 
though more people died from prescription drugs each year than all 
illegal drugs combined. Also, booze and tobacco kill more people each 
year than "illegal drugs," and they are more harmful.

Sheila Polk, though, believes that it's much better to jail these 
dangerous pot smokers year after year than it is to collect tax 
revenue from a "drug" that is not as harmful as legal drugs and 
including those given to citizens by the medical profession.

Based on their logic, Polk and others of her kind should immediately 
act to outlaw all prescription drugs, booze, and tobacco products. 
They should read the following New York Times articles  "Rules for 
the Marijuana Market" 8/5/14, "In the U.S., Punishment Comes Before 
the Crime"s 4/30/14, "Let States Decide on Marijuana" 5/27/14, "What 
Science Say About Marijuana" 7/31/14, "The Federal Marijuana Ban is 
Rooted in Myth and Xenophobia" 7/30/ 14, "The Injustice of Marijuana 
Arrests" 7/29/14, "Repeal Prohibition Again" 7/27/14, and "The Great 
Colorado Weed Experiment" 8/3/14.

Continuing the nearly 50-year War on Drugs has been and continues to 
be an insane policy.

- - Douglas Page, Prescott
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom