TIME TO WEED OUT POT LAWS?

Why this country allows its citizens to consume alcohol, but not
marijuana, is a bit of a mystery.

Both substances have mind-altering capabilities. Both substances, if
abused, can destroy the lives of the user and anyone who crosses the
user's path.

But both substances can be used responsibly and moderately, according
to Rep. Barney Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat.

And perhaps most importantly, our government spends an inordinate
amount of time and money arresting and prosecuting pot users - about
12 million citizens have been arrested on a marijuana-related charge
since 1965, according to NORML, an organization that wants marijuana
use to be legalized.

Frank announced this week that he would introduce a bill that would
decriminalize the possession of less than a quarter-pound of
marijuana. Advocates argue that because alcohol is a legal substance,
marijuana should be, too. Instead, marijuana should be regulated in
the same way as alcohol, and the threat of arrest should be limited
for only those whose use affects someone else, such as in the case of
driving while intoxicated by the drug.

Frank's proposal seems to have merit, particularly when applied to
medicinal marijuana users. Even in states that have passed laws
allowing medicinal marijuana use, patients who use prescribed pot
still are running afoul of federal laws.

While marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug in the U.S.,
it seem highly unlikely Frank's proposal will become law. Being "soft
on crime" - and drug use is a crime - is a cardinal sin in American
politics. When former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders dared to suggest
that the legalization of drugs should be studied, she was publicly
ridiculed.

But the success of the "War on Drugs" is debatable; there are reports
that cocaine use is down, but the number of incarcerations for
drug-related convictions has risen. The U.S. government reports it has
spent $30 billion incarcerating those who break drug laws.

Additionally, a report from the United Kingdom's government revealed
that a tough stance on drug use has fueled price hikes for most drugs,
which simply helps increase the profitability of businesses the war on
drugs aims to destroy.

And despite comparisons between pot and alcohol - a drug many a
Congress member has been known to use - the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration still considers pot to be a gateway drug to harder,
more addictive and more damaging substances. Nevermind the fact that
alcohol is a factor in a large number of local arrests, and that in
2006, 13,470 died in the U.S. in crashes involving a drunken driver.

It would be nice if Frank's proposal sparked an honest debate about
the effectiveness of the war on pot, especially in a nation grappling
with the war on terror, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and facing the
largest deficit in its history.