ESTABLISH AGE CONTROLS FOR MARIJUANA USE

North Carolina's hazardous methamphetamine labs are reminiscent of the
deadly exploding liquor stills that sprang up throughout the nation 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 illegal drugs while demand remains constant only increase the
profitability of drug trafficking. In terms of 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.

There are cost-effective alternatives. In Europe, the Netherlands has
successfully reduced overall drug use by replacing marijuana prohibition
with adult regulation. Dutch rates of drug use are significantly lower than
U.S. rates in every category. Separating the hard and soft drug markets and
establishing age controls for marijuana has proven more effective than a
never-ending drug war.

In the United States, marijuana provides the black market contacts that
introduce consumers to addictive drugs like meth. This "gateway" is the
direct result of a fundamentally flawed policy. Unlike alcohol, marijuana
has never been shown to cause an overdose death, nor does it share the
addictive properties of tobacco. Marijuana may be relatively harmless, but
marijuana prohibition is deadly.

Robert Sharpe, Program officer, Drug Policy Alliance, Washington, D.C.