SAY "'NO' TO AMERICAN INQUISITION

Regarding your thoughtful January 10 editorial, the police state
approach to cannabis use is a proven failure. Consider the experience
of the United States of America, former Land of the Free and current
record holder in citizens incarcerated. The steady rise in
drug-sniffing dogs in schools, warrantless police searches, and
random drug testing have led to a loss of civil liberties in America,
while failing miserably at preventing cannabis use.

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

This cannabis policy failure has unfortunately not stopped the U.S.
from using its superpower status to export a punitive moral crusade
around the globe. If health outcomes determined drug laws instead of
cultural norms, cannabis would be legal. The short-term health
effects of cannabis are inconsequential compared to the long-term
effects of criminal records. New Zealand should follow the lead of
Europe and Just Say No to the American Inquisition.

A comparative analysis of U.S. versus European rates of drug use can
be found at: http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/espad_pr.pdf

*MTF is funded with U.S. government grants

United Nations stats: http://www.unodc.org/

Comparative analysis of U.S. vs. Dutch rates of drug use:

http://www.drugwarfacts.org/thenethe.htm

ROBERT SHARPE , MPA

Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy

Arlington, Virginia, USA