Pubdate: Fri, 19 Nov, 1999
Source: Austin Chronicle (TX)
Copyright: 1999 Austin Chronicle Corp.
Contact:  http://www.auschron.com/
Author: Robert Sharpe

WAR ON SOME DRUGS

Editor:

Your article on the tragic consequences of America's zero-tolerance drug 
policies ["Drug Warriors," Nov. 5] was one of the best I've read on the 
subject. If Alexander Windle had never sobered up he would still be alive 
today. I know many a former alcoholic who has turned his or her life around 
by putting down the bottle and picking up the marijuana pipe. They may 
still have a substance abuse problem, but at least now they can get up in 
the morning without a hangover and lead productive lives. Nor do they run 
the risk of drinking themselves to death. It is not possible to consume 
enough marijuana to die from an overdose. Not even aspirin can make the 
same claim. I pray that those friends of mine who prefer marijuana to 
martinis are not gunned down like Mr. Windle as a result of their preference.

Unfortunately, we can only expect more of such tragedies. The War on Some 
Drugs is more than an intergenerational culture war. It is a money-making 
machine for both drug dealers and drug warriors. Thanks to federal 
forfeiture laws, police have license to steal from illegal drug users. The 
profit motive has turned what should be protectors of the peace into 
predators. Law enforcement is not the only group profiting from draconian 
drug policies. The for-profit prison and drug testing industry wield 
considerable clout on Capitol Hill. It is time for policymakers in Congress 
to ignore the special interests clamoring for zero-tolerance policies and 
acknowledge the parallels between drug prohibition and America's disastrous 
experiment with alcohol prohibition. The only winners in the War on Drugs 
are the drug warriors and dealers who profit from prohibition. The big 
losers in this battle are the American taxpayer, civil rights, and people 
like Alexander Windle.
Sincerely,

Robert Sharpe

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