THE EFFECTS OF POT PROHIBITION

Re "The politics of pot" (feature story, by Robert Speer, Dec.
3):

The drug war is largely a war on marijuana smokers. In 2008, there
were 847,863 marijuana arrests in the U.S., 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 U.S. has higher rates of marijuana use than the
Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available. An admitted former
pot smoker, President Obama has thus far maintained the prohibition
status quo rather than pursued change. Would Barack Obama be in the
White House right now if he had been convicted of a marijuana offense
in his youth?

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 like cocaine and heroin. This "gateway" is a
direct result of marijuana prohibition.

Robert Sharpe

Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C.