Pubdate: Sun, 02 Jul 2000
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)
Copyright: Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2000
Contact: letters@lvrj.com
Address: P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125
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Author: Robert Sharpe
Note: Headline by the editor.

LEGALIZE DOPE

To the editor: Overly harsh marijuana laws are not the only reason to ease
penalties ("Common sense on dope," June 26 editorial). The case for outright
legalization is quite compelling. As long as marijuana remains illegal, the
established criminal distribution network will ensure that America's
children can sample every new poison concocted by drug pushers. Current drug
policy is effectively a gateway drug policy. Indeed, if marijuana had been
legalized in the 1970s there would be no meth or heroin epidemics in
America. Given that marijuana is arguably safer than alcohol -- it is
impossible to die from a marijuana overdose -- why not end marijuana
prohibition? As counterintuitive as it may seem, legalizing marijuana would
both limit access and separate the hard and soft drug markets that serve to
introduce youth to the truly deadly drugs.

Robert Sharpe, Washington, D.C.

The writer is with Students for Sensible Drug Policy (www.ssdp.org).