DRUG LAWS NOT ABOUT HEALTH

Dear Editor, Regarding Jim Hightower's thoughtful July 21 column ["The
Hightower Report"], if health outcomes determined drug laws instead of
cultural norms, marijuana would be legal. Unlike alcohol, marijuana
has never been shown to cause an overdose death, nor does it share the
addictive properties of tobacco. Like any drug, marijuana can be
harmful if abused, but jail cells are inappropriate as health
interventions and ineffective as deterrents.

The first marijuana laws were enacted in response to Mexican migration
during the early 1900s, despite opposition from the American Medical
Association. Dire warnings that marijuana inspires homicidal rages
have been counterproductive at best. White Americans did not even
begin to smoke pot until a soon-to-be entrenched government
bureaucracy began funding reefer madness propaganda.

By raiding voter-approved medical-marijuana providers in California,
the very same U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that claims illicit
drug use funds terrorism is forcing cancer and AIDS patients into the
hands of street dealers. Apparently marijuana prohibition is more
important than protecting the country from terrorism.

The following Virginia Law Review article offers a good overview of
the cultural roots of marijuana legislation:
www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/vlr/vlrtoc.htm

For additional historical background please see the Canadian Senate
report:
www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/ille-e/rep-e/summary-e.pdf

Sincerely,

Robert Sharpe, MPA

Policy analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

www.csdp.org