DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA NOW

Marni Steadham of University of Iowa Students for Sensible Drug Policy
is to be commended for her eloquent challenge to Iowa Republican Sen.
Charles Grassley (Nov. 14 Iowa View). Unless Grassley likes wasting
tax dollars on failed government programs, he would be wise to heed
her advice.

The drug war is largely a war on marijuana smokers. In 2008, there
were 847,863 marijuana arrests in the United States, almost 90 percent
for simple possession.

At a time when state and local governments are laying off police,
firefighters and teachers, this country continues to spend enormous
public resources criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis.

The end result of this ongoing 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.

Marijuana decriminalization is a long-overdue step in the right
direction.

Taxing and regulating marijuana would render the $50 billion drug war
obsolete.

As long as marijuana distribution is controlled by organized crime,
consumers of the most popular illicit drug will come into contact with
sellers of hard drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. This gateway is a
direct result of marijuana prohibition.

Robert Sharpe, policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy,
Washington, D.C.