DECRIMINALIZE

Not only should medical marijuana be made available to patients in
need, but adult recreational use should be regulated. Drug policies
modelled after alcohol prohibition have given rise to a youthoriented
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. 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. 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 is a cost-effective alternative to a
neverending drug war. As long as marijuana distribution is controlled
by organized crime, consumers will come into contact with hard drugs
like methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. This "gateway" is a direct
result of marijuana prohibition.

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