GOING TO POT

Tony Blair's new soft-on-marijuana policy has naturally been getting
applause from U.S. legalizers. They like the British decision to make
possession of marijuana a ticketing offense, in the same category as
illegal possession of steroids or anti-depressants.

Meanwhile -- though getting much less U.S. media attention -- the Dutch are
having second thoughts about their own famously liberal marijuana laws.
Last week the Netherlands announced a plan to crack down on the legal
"coffee" houses where you can buy cannabis along with your cappuccino.

The arguments for decriminalizing marijuana are well known and not without
appeal. And yet the evidence emerging in countries that have legalized (the
Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium) supports the view that decriminalization
leads to rising drug use and higher crime rates. In the Netherlands,
marijuana coffeehouses will no longer be permitted near schools or national
borders. Neighboring countries with tougher drug laws have complained that
their young people cross the border to sample the Dutch wares.

Britain has its own bad example in the form of a pilot liberalization in
Lambeth, which includes the drugs-ridden south London neighborhood of
Brixton. Labour MP Kate Hoey, whose constituency includes Brixton, reports
that drug dealers are pushing hard drugs openly on the streets. Police
report an 11% increase in trafficking offenses -- though, to be fair, it
wasn't clear whether that was because there are more dealers in the area or
more cops.

For the U.S., the lesson would appear to be to beware legalizers bearing
British gifts. Mr. Blair's proposal may sail through the House of Commons,
but we're willing to wager that like the Dutch the British will regret the
decision once they notice the rise in drug use. The U.S. is better off just
saying no.