SHOULD CALIFORNIANS APPROVE PROP. 19? NO

Dutch Town's Woes Show Social Cost Isn't Worth It

In November Californians will vote on Proposition 19 a measure that
would legalize, tax and regulate marijuana use for those 21 and older.
Its outspoken opponents point to everything from an increase in
"drugged driving" to decreased scholastic performance as possible
outcomes. But instead of spewing hypothetical projections (that are
routinely swatted away by the bill's backers), they need only to look
at Maastricht, Netherlands, for an indisputable, empirical case study
to bolster their cause.

Maastricht is an unassuming Dutch border town with a problem. It is
being overrun by foreigners seeking a consequence-free opportunity to
buy marijuana in one of the area's "coffee shops." The New York Times
recently reported that the city is inundated with up to 2 million drug
tourists annually, and the resulting rise in crime and traffic has led
Maastricht and other Dutch border cities to lobby for a change in
policy. Despite what the European Union's free trade laws currently
mandate, these towns want to stop selling to foreigners.

You don't have to be a genius to see where this is headed. The illegal
immigration issue will seem like no problema when you see the convoy
of cars with out-of-state license plates streaming like eager ants
over the California border toward the nearest pot picnic.

Making matters worse, those priced out of the marijuana market by the
going rate of $300 for an ounce of the most potent pot could see an 80
percent drop in that price if Proposition 19 passes, according to a
study by the California-based Rand Corp.

The Golden State is already struggling with what the Dutch have called
the "back door" problem. Since medical marijuana was legalized in
California nearly 15 years ago, the government has been able to
regulate the sale of the drug, but has had trouble monitoring where
dispensaries are obtaining their supply. In Maastricht, this quandary
has led to a booming industry steeped in money laundering and
organized crime. Imagine the regulatory chaos if we start seeing hash
houses popping up on street corners. And what's to stop the sale of
California-grown marijuana on the Internet?

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the trouble in Maastricht is
that the throngs of foreigners seeking what many claim to be a
harmless recreational drug become an easy target for street dealers
selling much more dangerous narcotics. Maastricht's crime rate tells
the story: it's three times that of similar-sized Dutch cities farther
from the border. That's just what California needs, right? Marijuana
dealers may be put out of business if their primary good is legalized,
but they will likely be replaced by others hawking more insidious
mind-altering fixes.

Sure, cash-starved California could use the estimated $1.4 billion in
new tax revenue the Rand study estimates it would earn if Proposition
19 passes. But at what social cost? Many claim the measure will also
cut down on the disproportionate number of minorities that are going
to jail on recreational drug charges, but even the African American
community is divided on whether or not legalization will have that
desired effect. A group of black religious leaders has even joined
recently to fight what they see as a potential open door to
wider-spread use of the drug.

It's silly to believe, as many Proposition 19 supporters do, that
everyone who wants to smoke pot already does. Combine low prices with
high availability and the market will expand like Lady Gaga's list of
Twitter followers. Heed Maastricht's warning where locals are now
fighting to ban marijuana-seeking foreigners and, in effect, willingly
decimating their multibillion-dollar cash cow. Theirs is a cautionary
tale, and one that California voters should take into account at the
polls on Nov. 2.