LET'S TAX, REGULATE SALE OF MARIJUANA

The drug war is largely a war on marijuana smokers. In 2008, there
were 847,863 marijuana arrests in the United States, almost 90 percent
for simple possession. At a time when state and local governments are
laying off police officers, firefighters and teachers, this country
continues to spend enormous public resources criminalizing Americans
who prefer marijuana to martinis. The end result of this ongoing
culture war is not necessarily lower rates of use.

The United States has higher rates of marijuana use than the
Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available. Decriminalization
is a long-overdue step in the right direction. Taxing and regulating
marijuana would render the drug war obsolete. As long as organized
crime controls marijuana distribution, consumers will continue to come
into contact with sellers of hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. This
"gateway" is a direct result of marijuana prohibition.

Robert Sharpe

Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy