POT PROHIBITION HAS FAILED

Editor: The recent article highlighting the debate over the wisdom of
marijuana prohibition was missing one important element: the
perspective of someone representing the interests of those who
support replacing prohibition with regulation -- now a majority
opinion in California ("Marijuana takes center stage," by Dan Johnson, May 21).

Supervisor Mike Kerns' assertion that repealing prohibition would
lead to widespread marijuana use isn't supported by the data. In the
Netherlands, marijuana is sold to adults through regulated outlets,
but use is nearly half what it is in the U.S. The fear that teen use
would rise is also unfounded. Controlling marijuana through a legal
system would be more effective at reducing teen availability than the
current policy, which leaves marijuana in the hands of drug dealers
with no incentive to card for age. More California teens report using
marijuana than cigarettes because strict regulations on tobacco sales
have successfully reduced availability to minors but marijuana is
sold in virtually every American high school.

Prohibition has been an utter failure and if Supervisor Kerns hasn't
realized that, he needs to get his head out of the sand.

F. Aaron Smith, California policy director, Marijuana Policy Project, Santa Rosa