FEDERAL DRUG POLICY HARDLY INCONSEQUENTIAL

Dear Editor,

Regarding your Feb. 15 editorial ("Strife Over FAFSA Aid Provision
Remains Symbolic"), the actual number of students stripped of
financial aid due to drug offenses is 189,065. To obtain
state-by-state numbers, Students for Sensible Drug Policy teamed up
with the American Civil Liberties Union and sued the U.S. Department
of Education, after their Freedom of Information Act request was
denied. I encourage you to check out their Web site. The number of
students impacted is hardly symbolic.

Instead of empowering at-risk students with a college degree, drug
provisions in the Higher Education Act limit career opportunities and
increase the likelihood that those affected will resort to crime.

Speaking of crime, convicted rapists and murderers are still eligible
for federal student loans. Most students outgrow their youthful
indiscretions involving illicit drugs. An arrest and criminal record,
on the other hand, can be life-shattering.

After admitting to smoking pot (but not inhaling), former President
Bill Clinton opened himself up to "soft on drugs" criticism --
thousands of Americans have paid the price in the form of shattered
lives. More Americans went to prison or jail during the Clinton
administration than during any past administration. As an admitted
former drinker and alleged illicit drug user, President George W.
Bush is also politically vulnerable when it comes to drugs.

While youthful indiscretions didn't stop Clinton or Bush from
assuming leadership positions, an arrest surely would have. The
short-term effects of marijuana are inconsequential compared to the
long-term effects of criminal records. Students who want to help end
the cultural war otherwise known as the war on some drugs should
contact Students for Sensible Drug Policy at http://www.SchoolsNotPrisons.com.

Robert Sharpe, MPA

Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy