DRUG WAR FUELS CRIME

Regarding Ric Llewellyn's July 30 column, "Is pot really good for
whatever ails you?": Not only should medical marijuana be made
available to patients in need, but adult recreational use should be
regulated. Drug policies modeled after Prohibition-era restrictions on
alcohol 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.

Throwing more money at the problem is no solution. Attempting to limit
the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant only
increases the profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs
like heroin, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to
increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. 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 a never-ending drug war. As long as
marijuana distribution is controlled by organized crime, consumers
will continue to come into contact with hard drugs like meth, cocaine
and heroin. This "gateway" is a direct result of marijuana
prohibition.

ROBERT SHARPE

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C.