GRAPPLING WITH DRUG LEGALIZATION:

STILL MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS

As prisons fill and tax coffers empty, legalizing drugs becomes more
appealing to people from all over the political spectrum.

A few weeks ago syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts wrote, "Let's at
least begin a real talk about legalizing drugs." The Libertarian Party
includes in its platform the following: "We favor the repeal of all
laws creating 'crimes' without victims, such as the use of drugs for
medicinal or recreational purposes."

When I hear folks speak in these general terms, though, my first
reaction is, "Which drugs and how legal?"

Let's face it: There are certain drugs that no one should be able to
just walk into the corner market and purchase.

The Hard Stuff

LSD comes to mind. I think anyone who has ever taken LSD will attest
that it's not for the weak of mind or faint of heart. A powerful
hallucinogen, LSD can cause hours of hallucinations and delusions,
like a very serious but temporary mental illness. And there are drugs
out there even more powerful.

We'd also need to decide what "legalizing" means. There are shades of
gray in the criminalization of drugs. Does legalization mean we box,
tax and sell these substances at the corner market? Sell them only at
ABC stores? Make users register and buy them via mail order? Does the
government stay out of the drug business completely but relax rules on
possession?

Last November, Massachusetts voters approved a referendum that
decriminalizes the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Now
getting busted in the Bay State with less than an ounce of pot is
punishable by a civil fine of $100, and the offense will not be
reported to the state's criminal history board.

If we are to go further down this road, let's start at the easiest
drug and move on from there. Without a doubt, marijuana is the easiest
drug on the menu to start to talk about legalizing.

What About Alcohol?

In many ways, legalizing marijuana makes more sense than legalizing
even alcohol. Marijuana, while habit-forming, is not addictive. No one
has ever overdosed on marijuana, but people drink themselves to death,
sadly. Overall, alcohol use, through DUI accidents and long-term
health issues, kills about 100,000 people a year. I'll take a stoned
driver over a drunk driver any day.

Studies show that alcohol contributes to incidences of domestic
violence and sexual assault and marijuana use does not. As a matter of
fact, studies show that alcohol use contributes to aggressive behavior
and acts of violence, whereas marijuana use actually reduces the
likelihood of violence. And finally, like it says on more than one
bathroom wall, "God made marijuana, man made alcohol. Who do you trust?"

Create Panel of Experts

Our drug laws are an amalgamation of mostly knee-jerk reactions made
by politicians. I propose we set up a Comprehensive Drug Availability
Panel -- a commission of experts to decide which drugs we want to make
more widely and legally available. Let's compose a panel of
economists, psychiatrists and other medical doctors, law enforcement
personnel, sociologists, addiction experts, etc. and throw tobacco and
alcohol into the mix and see which mind-altering substances they feel
it would be wisest to make legally available to those who like to use
recreational drugs.

We're a long way from fully legalizing any drugs. We have a lot to
talk about and a lot of decisions to make, but it is a healthy
dialogue to start, especially if we can find a way to tax it. But next
time someone asks for your vote or says they want to "legalize drugs,"
ask them, "Which drugs are you talking about and how legal do you want
to make them?"