DRUG WAR CAUSES GOVERNMENT TO SUBSIDIZE ORGANIZED CRIME

Regarding Sarah Waldrop's Feb. 14 column, the drug war is largely a
war on marijuana, the most popular illicit drug. Punitive marijuana
laws have little, if any, deterrent value.

America is one of the few Western countries that uses its criminal
justice system to punish citizens who prefer marijuana to martinis.

The short-term health effects of marijuana are inconsequential
compared to the long-term effects of criminal records. Unfortunately,
marijuana represents the counterculture to many Americans. In
subsidizing the prejudices of culture warriors, government is
subsidizing organized crime.

Students who want to help end the war on some drugs can contact
Students for Sensible Drug Policy at www.ssdp.org.

Robert Sharpe

Policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy