MORE ABOUT LEGAL DRUGS

B.C.'s hazardous methamphetamine labs are reminiscent of the deadly
exploding liquor stills that sprang up during alcohol prohibition.

Drug policies modeled after alcohol prohibition have given rise to a
youth-oriented black market. Illegal drug dealers don't ID for age, but they
do recruit minors immune to adult sentences. So much for protecting the
children.

Throwing more money at the problem is no solution. Attempts to limit the
supply of drugs while demand remains constant only increase the
profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs like meth, 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. 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 meth. 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