POT PROHIBITION IS A GATEWAY POLICY

Not only should medical marijuana be made available to patients in
need, but adult recreational use should be regulated (Times editorial,
"Sure, but slow," April 2). Drug policies modeled after alcohol
prohibition have given rise to a youth-oriented black market. Illegal
drug dealers don't check I.D. 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 a 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 cocaine and
heroin. This "gateway" is a direct result of marijuana
prohibition.

Robert Sharpe, MPA,

Washington, D.C.

The writer is policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy
(csdp.org).