LETTER OF THE WEEK

ANTI-POT LAWS DON'T WORK

By Neal Levine

The Nevada Appeal recently ran an editorial against Question 7, the
marijuana initiative. Unfortunately, the authors attributed many
claims to our campaign that we have never actually made.

We have always been straightforward with our argument: Our marijuana
laws don't work because anyone who wants to use marijuana can. In the
meantime, the criminal market for marijuana is financing the
activities of violent gangs and drug dealers. The Appeal claims
marijuana can be harmful, and we've never disputed that. But we do
state that marijuana is safer than alcohol - a regulated substance
that kills nearly 20,000 Americans every year by overdose - while no
one has ever died of a marijuana overdose.

The editorial claimed more people would use marijuana if it were
"more readily available." But marijuana is already widely available -
how else would 100 million Americans have tried it?

The Appeal states that there is no war on marijuana, yet Nevada law
enforcement spends $42 million every year in its attempt to enforce
the failed policy of marijuana prohibition.

Finally, we agree with the Appeal on at least one thing: voters
should use common sense when deciding how to vote on Question 7.
Allowing marijuana to remain in the criminal market, where it
finances the activities of violent gangs and drug dealers, doesn't
make much sense for Nevada. It's time for an alternative to the
failures of marijuana prohibition. If you favor passing a sensible
marijuana policy for Nevada, vote yes on Question 7 on Nov. 7.

Neal Levine

Campaign manager, Yes on Question 7

Pubdate - Fri, 27 Oct 2006

Source - Nevada Appeal (Carson City, NV)

Referenced - http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1385/a12.html