DRUG POLICY FAILS

Regarding W. Bryan Hubbard's Aug. 1 op-ed, the steady rise in
drug-sniffing dogs in schools, warrantless police searches, and
random drug testing have led to a loss of civil liberties while
failing miserably at preventing drug use. With national debt soaring,
we can no longer afford to throw good money at bad drug policy.

Based on findings that criminal records are inappropriate as health
interventions and ineffective as deterrents, a majority of European
Union countries have decriminalized marijuana. Despite marijuana
prohibition, lifetime use of marijuana is higher in the United States
than any European country.

The drug war threatens the integrity of a country founded on the
concept of limited government. It's not possible to wage a moralistic
war against consensual vices unless privacy is completely eliminated,
along with the U.S. Constitution. America can either be a free
country or a "drug-free" country, but not both.

Robert Sharpe Common Sense for Drug Policy policy analyst Arlington, Va.