THEIR CURE DOESN'T COST MORE THAN PROBLEM

As a parent helping two children navigate their teen years, and as a
travel writer who has seen firsthand how Europe deals with its drug
problem, I've thought a lot about American drug policy - particularly
our criminalization of marijuana.

Europe, like America, is dealing with a persistent drug-abuse
problem. But Europe - which treats drug abuse primarily as a public
health issue - measures the success of its drug policy in terms of
pragmatic harm reduction.

Europeans seek a cure that isn't more costly than the problem. While
the U.S. spends its tax dollars on police, courts and prisons, Europe
fights drug abuse by funding doctors, counselors and clinics.
European Union policymakers estimate that for each euro invested in
drug education and counseling, they save 15 euros in police and
health costs. Similar estimates have been made for U.S. health-based
approaches by the RAND Corp. and others.

While Europeans are as firmly opposed to hard drugs as we are, the
difference in how they approach marijuana is striking. Take the
Netherlands, with its famously liberal marijuana laws. On my last
trip to Amsterdam, I visited a "coffeeshop" - a cafe that openly and
legally sells marijuana to people over 18. I sat and observed the
very local, almost quaint scene: Neighbors were chatting. An older
couple parked their bikes and dropped in for a baggie to go. An
underage customer was shooed away. Then a police officer showed up
.. but only to post a warning about the latest danger from chemical
drugs on the streets.

Some concerned American parents are comforted by the illusion of
control created by our complete prohibition on marijuana. But the
policy seems to be backfiring: Their kids say it's easier to buy
marijuana than tobacco or alcohol.

When it comes to marijuana, European leaders understand that a
society must choose: Tolerate alternative lifestyles, or build more
prisons. They've made their choice. We're still building more prisons.

The time has come to have an honest discussion about our marijuana
laws. We need to find a policy that is neither "hard on drugs" nor
"soft on drugs" ... but smart on drugs.