PROHIBITION SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE

Whenever one tries to engage in a sensible debate about the legalization of
marijuana, he or she is bombarded with the same tired old meaningless
phrase, "That sends the wrong message to our children." But what kind of
message does prohibition send our children?

Prohibition allows children to acquire drugs in a dangerous, unsafe and
unregulated market. If it were legal and regulated, then kids would have to
present an ID to get it. What message does that send to our children?
Prohibition allows children to sell these drugs to each other. In schools
all across the country, elementary-age children are showing up in class
with a myriad of drugs to sell to their classmates. If it were legal and
regulated, then chances are the kids wouldn't have access to it in the
first place. The responsibility to keep it away from kids would rest with
the parents. By not doing that, what message does it send to our children?

Prohibition allows drug dealers to shoot it out in the streets when they
have a disagreement, sometimes catching kids in the crossfire. If it were
legal and regulated, then there would be little crime associated with it.
By creating the crime through prohibition, what message is being sent to
our children?

Prohibition puts every child who has the natural inclination to disobey his
or her parents at risk of becoming so much more cannon fodder for the
prison industrial complex.

We can all agree that we do not want our children to do drugs. We need to
all agree that some kids will do it anyway and that it is up to us to make
it as safe as possible.

If we don't, what message does that send to our children?

LORETTA NALL

President

Alabama Marijuana Party