FIGHT OR FUEL?

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Regarding Ronald Fraser's thoughtful July 24 op-ed piece, the drug war is a
cure that's worse than the disease. Attempts to limit the supply of drugs
while demand remains constant only increase the profitability of 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, the most popular illicit drug, is a
cost-effective alternative to a never-ending drug war. As long as marijuana
distribution remains in the hands of organized crime, consumers will
continue to come into contact with sellers of hard drugs.

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.

Drug policy reform may send the wrong message to children, but I like to
think the children are more important than the message.

Robert Sharpe / Policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy; Washington, D.C.