REGULATING SALE OF MARIJUANA COULD STEM RISE OF CRYSTAL METH

Regarding your editorial There's no time to lose in crystal meth battle,
(The Standard, July 16): How should Ontario respond to the growing use of
crystal methamphetamine? Here in the United States, New York City chose the
zero-tolerance approach during the crack epidemic of the 1980s. Meanwhile,
Washington, DC, Mayor Marion Barry was smoking crack and America's capital
had the highest per-capita murder rate in the country. Yet crack use
declined in both cities simultaneously. The decline was not due to a slick
anti-drug advertising campaign or the passage of mandatory minimum
sentencing laws. Simply put, the younger generation saw first-hand what
crack was doing to their older siblings and decided for themselves that
crack was bad news.

This is not to say nothing can be done about methamphetamine. Access to
drug treatment is critical for the current generation of users. In order to
protect future generations from hard drugs like meth, policymakers need to
adopt the Canadian Senate's common-sense proposal to tax and regulate
marijuana. As long as marijuana distribution remains in the hands of
organized crime, consumers will continue to come into contact with
addictive drugs like meth. This "gateway" is the direct result of a
fundamentally flawed policy. Drugpolicy reform may send the wrong message
to children, but I like to think the children are more important than the
message.

RobertSharpe, MPA

Policy Analyst

CommonSense for DrugPolicy

Washington, DC