UP IN SMOKE

The drug war is largely a war on marijuana smokers. Last year there
were 847,863 marijuana arrests in the U.S., almost 90 percent for
simple possession. At a time when budget shortfalls are forcing state
and local governments to lay off police, firefighters and teachers,
this country continues to spend increasingly scarce public resources
criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis.

The result of this culture war is not necessarily lower rates of use.
The United States has higher rates of marijuana use than the
Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available. An admitted former
marijuana smoker, President Obama has thus far maintained the status
quo rather than pursue change. Would Barack Obama be in White House if
he had been convicted of a marijuana offense in his youth?

Decriminalization is a long overdue step in the right
direction.

Robert Sharpe

Arlington, Va.