POLICY ANALYST SUGGEST DRUG PROBLEM PARTLY PROHIBITION
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Editor:

The Taber Police Service faces a Sisyphean task.

So-called drug-related crime is invariably prohibition-related. Attempts to
limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant only
increase the profitability of drug 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 never-ending drug war.

There is a big difference between condoning marijuana use and protecting
children from drugs. 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 -- 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

MPA Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C.