MARIJUANA LAWS CRIMINAL GATEWAY

The Daily 49er's Dec. 3 editorial "Calif. legislators need class at
Ganja U." was right on target. Not only should medical marijuana be
made available to patients in need, but adult recreational use should
be regulated.

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 limit
the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant only
increase the profitability of trafficking. For addictive drugs like
heroin, 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.

Taxing and regulating marijuana, the most popular illicit drug, is a
cost-effective alternative to never-ending drug war. As long as
marijuana distribution is controlled by organized crime, consumers
will continue to come into contact with hard drugs like
methamphetamine. This "gateway" is a direct result of marijuana
prohibition.

Marijuana is arguably safer than legal alcohol; it makes no sense to
waste tax dollars on failed policies that finance organized crime and
facilitate the use of hard drugs.

Students who want to help end the intergenerational culture war
otherwise known as the war on some drugs should contact Students for
Sensible Drug Policy at SchoolsNotPrisons.com.

Sincerely,

Robert Sharpe, Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, DC