LEGALIZE IT

Not only should medical marijuana be made available to patients in
need, but adult recreational use should be regulated. Drug policies
modeled after alcohol prohibition have given rise to a youth-oriented
black market. Illegal drug dealers don't ID for age, but they do
recruit minors immune to adult sentences. So much for protecting the
children. And 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 drug trafficking. 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 never-ending drug war. As long as marijuana
distribution is controlled by organized crime, consumers will continue
to come into contact with hard drugs.

Robert Sharpe, policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy,
Washington, D.C.