MARIJUANA'S SOCIAL COST

Re: the Ventura County Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee's Sept.
25 commentary "Prop. 19 a bad law for California":

Sheriff Bob Brooks and his law enforcement colleagues were either
wildly uninformed or intentionally dishonest when they implied that
marijuana's social cost is anywhere near that of alcohol and tobacco,
both of which are far more harmful than marijuana.

Just last year, a Canadian study published in the British Columbia
Mental Health and Addictions Journal found that the healthcare costs
for alcohol users are eight times higher than those for marijuana
users. The cost for tobacco users is 40 times higher.

Tobacco contributes to the death of more than 440,000 Americans each
year. Alcohol: 35,000. Marijuana: zero.

The authors cite a study that finds "for every $1 collected in taxes
on alcohol and tobacco, $9 is spent in social costs." If that is true,
and if the costs for alcohol and tobacco are eight - or even 40 -
times greater than for marijuana, then by the authors' own
calculations, marijuana's revenue would far outweigh its costs. Even
if it didn't, isn't some tax revenue better than none, especially for
a product that is already used regularly by 3 million
Californians?

By voting for Proposition 19, Californians can ensure that local
governments - and not criminals - earn revenue from marijuana sales.
They also can give adults the legal option to use a substance less
harmful than alcohol or tobacco.

Sarah Lovering,

Development Officer

Marijuana Policy Project,

Los Angeles