PROTECT THE CHILDREN

Protect the children Re "Remove pot prohibition" (Guest comment, April 19):

Regarding JR Reynolds' thoughtful column, drug policies modeled after
alcohol prohibition have given rise to a youth-oriented black market.
Illegal drug dealers don't ID for age, but they do recruit minors
immune to adult sentences. So much for protecting the children.

Throwing more money at the problem is no solution. Attempts to limit
the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant only
increase profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs like
meth, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to increase
criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war doesn't fight
crime, it fuels crime.

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. Drug policy reform may send the
wrong message to children, but I like to think the children are more
important than the message.

Robert Sharpe,

Common Sense for Drug Policy