TAXING MARIJUANA NOT A BAD IDEA

To the Editor:

Taxing marijuana wouldn't be a bad idea, providing sales were
regulated and could be taxed. New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer can't rely
on organized crime to submit tax returns for his budget shortfall
plan. There is a big difference between condoning marijuana use and
protecting children from drugs. Decriminalization acknowledges the
social reality of marijuana and frees users from the stigma of
life-shattering criminal records.

What's really needed is a regulated market with age controls.
Separating the hard and soft drug markets is critical. As long as
marijuana distribution is controlled by organized crime, marijuana
consumers will continue to come into contact with sellers of hard
drugs like methamphetamine. This "gateway" is the direct result of a
fundamentally flawed policy.

Given that marijuana is arguably safer than legal alcohol -- the
plant has never been shown to cause an overdose death -- it makes no
sense to waste tax dollars on failed policies that finance organized
crime and facilitate the use of hard drugs. Students who want to help
end the intergenerational culture war otherwise known as the war on
some drugs should contact Students for Sensible Drug Policy at
SchoolsNotPrisons.com.

Robert Sharpe, MPA

Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy, Washington, D.C.