MARIJUANA PROHIBITION FAILS II

Regarding the Trib's thoughtful editorial "Stop 'reefer madness':
Legalize marijuana" (July 29 and TribLIVE.com): Unlike alcohol,
marijuana has never been shown to cause an overdose death, nor does it
share the addictive properties of tobacco.

Marijuana prohibition has failed miserably as a deterrent. The U.S.
has higher rates of marijuana use than the Netherlands. The only clear
winners in the war on marijuana are drug cartels and shameless
tough-on-drugs politicians who've built careers confusing the drug
war's collateral damage with a relatively harmless plant.

Robert Sharpe

Washington, D.C.

The writer is a policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy, a
nonprofit advocacy organization (csdp.org).