D.C.'s MOVE TOWARD ALLOWING MEDICAL MARIJUANA

I don't buy the argument that the District needs a restrictive medical
marijuana law to head off "abuses." In California, pretty much anyone
who wants a medical marijuana recommendation can get one. So what?

The recommendation allows consumers to buy locally grown marijuana of
known quality and safety from dispensaries that generate tax revenue.
Is it preferable that consumers buy marijuana from organized crime
groups that also sell cocaine, methamphetamines and heroin? Is
financing drug cartels a good thing?

If the D.C. Council wants to retain the city's many open-air drug
markets and the violence that comes with them, it will enact a
restrictive law. If the council wants to close the gateway to hard
drugs, undermine organized crime and generate tax revenue, it will
follow California's lead and implement a policy of de facto
legalization.

Robert Sharpe, Arlington

The writer is policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy.