U.S. SHOULD MODEL CZECHS' DRUG POLICY

Suppose another country had almost no drug problem. Suppose that
country had less than a small fraction of 1 percent of our drug
arrests. And suppose that country had almost no "drug-related crime"
and that their robbery rate was a tiny fraction of our robbery rate.

Do you suppose it might be wise to carefully observe that other
country's drug policy and that we should model that other country's
drug policy?

Well, there is such a country: The Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic is the only country in the world where adult
citizens can legally use, possess and grow small quantities of
marijuana. (In the Netherlands, marijuana is quasi-legal -- not
officially legal.)

According to our drug war cheerleaders, tolerant marijuana laws cause
people to use other, much more dangerous drugs, such as
methamphetamine and heroin. Obviously, this doesn't happen in the
Czech Republic.

Why not? Could it be that when people can legally obtain marijuana at
an affordable price, they tend not to use or desire any other
recreational drugs?

Could it be that marijuana legalization actually creates a roadblock
to hard drug use -- not a gateway?

Could it be that the vast majority of our so-called "drug-related
crime" is caused by our marijuana prohibition policies?

Should we throw another trillion dollars down the drug war rat hole?
Or should we do something different -- dramatically different?

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.