IT'S PROHIBITION THAT'S DEADLY

Editor, The News:

Abbotsford school trustee Uultsje DeJong opposes Ottawa's move to
decriminalize possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana because he believes
marijuana is a "gateway" drug.

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

Decriminalization acknowledges the social reality of marijuana 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 addictive drugs like cocaine. This
"gateway" is the direct result of a fundamentally flawed policy.

In the words of Canadian Senator Pierre Claude Nolin: "Scientific evidence
overwhelmingly indicates that cannabis is substantially less harmful than
alcohol and should be treated not as a criminal issue but as a social and
public health issue."

Marijuana may be relatively harmless, but marijuana prohibition is deadly.

Robert Sharpe, M.P.A. program officer Drug Policy Alliance
http://www.drugpolicy.org Washington, D.C.