DRUG WAR FUELS CRIME

Dear Editor,

Taxing and regulating marijuana makes sense. Drug policies modeled
after alcohol prohibition have given rise to a youth-oriented black
market.

Illegal drug dealers don't ID for age, but they do recruit minors
immune to adult sentences. So much for protecting the children.

Throwing more money at the problem is no solution. Attempts to
eliminate the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant
only increase the profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive
drugs like methamphetamine, a spike in street prices leads desperate
addicts to increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The
drug war doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime.

Legalizing marijuana is a cost-effective alternative to continued drug
war failure. As long as organized crime controls marijuana
distribution, consumers will continue to come into contact with hard
drugs. This "gateway" is a direct result of marijuana
prohibition.

Sincerely,

Robert Sharpe, MPA

Common Sense for Drug Policy

www.csdp.org

Washington, DC