HARD/SOFT DIFFERENCES

Editor: Re: Blame it on Ottawa (The Times, March 6).

There is a big difference between condoning marijuana use and protecting
children from drugs. The Liberal decriminalization bill acknowledges the
social reality of marijuana use 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 cocaine. This
"gateway" is the direct result of a fundamentally-flawed policy.

Given that marijuana is arguably safer than legal alcohol, it makes no
sense to waste scarce resources 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, Common Sense for Drug Policy, Washington, D.C.