TWO VIEWPOINTS ON LEGALIZING DRUGS

TWO LAWYERS:

Mark Wilson practices real estate law and is the parent of a teen-ager.
While he supports the public exchange of ideas on society's "goals, policies
and practices" regarding drugs, he believes that legalizing currently
illegal substances would be a mistake.

He believes that the fact a substance is illegal, and thus a person can be
prosecuted for using it, serves as some deterrent and that drug problems
would only grow worse with removal of that deterrent.

"We are winning the drug war," Wilson wrote. "Yes, there are people who
continue to use drugs. But I grew up in the '60s and the '70s when drug use
was rampant among a large group. This same group is not, for the most part,
continuing to abuse drugs and in fact is advocating against the use of drugs
and are teaching their children to stay away from drugs."

Buford Terrell is a professor at South Texas College of Law. One of his
specialties is controlled-substances law. His research into the history of
drug use and drug laws has been extensive. In an hourlong conversation, he
cited from memory numerous studies and events and details in the evolution
of society's attitude about various substances now illegal.

No Dire Addiction Scenario

He said that Wilson's questions and concerns are
those often expressed by people who favor continuing the drug war. Terrell
said that his response requires more space than is available here, but he
said Wilson hit upon an important point in his comment that most people who
abused drugs when young in the '60s and '70s have stopped.

"The point: Most people will not use drugs under any scheme, and most of
those who do will use them casually and for a limited period of time,"
Terrell said. "Legalization will not turn us into a nation of addicts."

Wilson asks of those who favor legalization of drugs, "Do you really want to
legitimize the local drug pusher and welcome him into society? We must hold
the line at all costs; the future of our children depends upon it."

Rather than welcoming the drug pusher into society, Terrell said, "Removing
the drug laws, and their excessively high monopoly prices, is the most
effective way to get rid of the drug pusher."

He said that if legalized, marijuana would cost about the same as the
current average price of bags of tea, in the neighborhood of $1 an ounce.
And back when heroin was sold over the counter, its cost was about the same
as aspirin, which he said now runs about 3 cents a gram.

If drugs were legal and comparatively cheap, he said, the black market would
not compete with pharmacies, any more than the bootleggers could complete
with liquor stores after the end of Prohibition.

"One doesn't risk prison or drive-by shootings for the profits available on
commodities," Terrell said. "No dealers means no crack houses, no
street-corner or schoolyard sales, and no crack whores working the
neighborhoods. A heroin addict that could meet his needs for $10 a day
instead of $300 or $400 can hold down a job; he doesn't have to steal,
shoplift or deal."

The Lesson Of Legalizing Booze

Legalization of alcohol and enforcing a
minimum age for customers made it more difficult for minors to obtain booze
than they could during Prohibition when bootleggers sold to anyone with the
price of a bottle. Likewise, Terrell said that licensed dealers of legalized
drugs would not risk their businesses for the marginal sales. They would
check identification and refuse to sell to anyone underage.

"I could go on and on," Terrell said, "but the short answer is that the
black market and drug dealers are created not by the demand for drugs
(pharmacists could meet that) but by the drug laws that guarantee their
obscene profits and prevent regulation."

As Terrell said, the drug war involves "several complex issues" that require
more time and space to adequately discuss. And in response to those who have
asked where they might find additional information on the subject, it seems
appropriate to conclude each segment of our ongoing debate and discussion by
mentioning one of the many books or Web sites available.

Today's pick is a book by Mike Gray, Drug Crazy, subtitled: "How we got into
this mess and how we can get out." Originally published in 1998, it was
brought out in paperback this year with a cover price of $14.95. Routledge
is the publisher.