U.S. IS AN OBSTACLE

Dear Editor,

The experience of the U.S. suggests that punitive marijuana laws have
little, if any, deterrent value.

The University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future Study reports that
lifetime use of marijuana is higher in the United States than any
European country,yet America is one of the few Western countries that
uses its criminal justice system to punish citizens who prefer
marijuana to martinis.

The short-term health effects of marijuana are inconsequential
compared to the long-term effects of criminal records.

Unfortunately, marijuana represents the counterculture to many North
Americans. In subsidizing the prejudices of culture warriors,
government is subsidizing organized crime.

The drug war's distortion of immutable laws of supply and demand make
an easily grown weed literally worth its weight in gold.

The only clear winners in the war on marijuana are drug cartels and
shameless tough-on-drugs politicians who've built careers on confusing
drug prohibition's collateral damage with a relatively harmless plant.

The biggest obstacle to marijuana law reform in Canada is the U.S.
government.

Despite evidence that punitive laws fail to deter use, the former land
of the free and current record holder in citizens incarcerated uses
its superpower status to export its failed drug policies around the
globe.

Canada should follow the lead of Europe and Just Say No to the
American Inquisition.

Students who are anxious to help end the intergenerational culture war
otherwise known as the war on some drugs should contact Students for
Sensible Drug Policy at www.ssdp.org

Robert Sharpe, MPA

Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

www.csdp.org