SEPARATE THE HARD, SOFT DRUG MARKETS

There is a middle ground between drug prohibition and blanket
legalization ("When will we end the failed drug war?" Opinion *
Commentary, Dec. 31).

Switzerland's heroin maintenance program has been shown to reduce
disease, death and crime among chronic users. Heroin maintenance pilot
projects are also under way in Canada, Germany, Spain and the
Netherlands.

If such programs are expanded, prescription heroin maintenance could
deprive organized crime of a core client base. This could help render
illegal heroin trafficking unprofitable and spare future generations
from addiction.

Marijuana, on the other hand, should be taxed and regulated like
alcohol, only without the ubiquitous advertising.

Separating the hard and soft drug markets is critical.

As long as marijuana distribution is controlled by organized crime,
consumers of the most popular illicit drug will continue to come into
contact with sellers of addictive drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

Given that marijuana is arguably safer than legal alcohol, it makes no
sense to waste scarce resources on failed policies that seek to
suppress it.

Robert Sharpe

Washington

The writer is a policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy.