MARIJUANA REGULATION

Dear Editor,

So Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown believes that "marijuana is a
gateway drug." There is a big difference between condoning marijuana
use and protecting children from drugs. Decriminalization
acknowledges the social reality of marijuana and frees users from the
stigma of life-shattering criminal records. What's really needed is a
regulated market with age controls.

Separating the hard and soft drug markets is critical. As long as
marijuana distribution remains in the hands of organized crime,
consumers will continue to come into contact with sellers of hard
drugs like methamphetamine. This "gateway" is the direct result of a
fundamentally flawed policy.

Given that marijuana is arguably safer than legal alcohol - the plant
has never been shown to cause an overdose death - it makes no sense
to waste tax dollars on failed policies that finance organized crime
and facilitate the use of hard drugs. The decision by Denver voters
to legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana is a step in
the right direction.

Sincerely,

Robert Sharpe, MPA

Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy