PROHIBITION NOT WORKING

To the editor:

Drug czar John Walters is confused if he thinks the principal argument for
marijuana law reform is that the plant is harmless. Like any drug,
marijuana can be harmful if abused. It is not the effects of marijuana that
necessitate a change in drug laws, but rather the effects of marijuana
prohibition. There is a big difference between condoning marijuana use and
protecting children from drugs. Decriminalization acknowledges the social
reality of marijuana use and frees users from the stigma of life-shattering
criminal records. What's really needed is a regulated market with
enforceable age controls. Right now kids have an easier time buying pot
than beer.

Separating the hard and soft drug markets is critical. Marijuana may be
relatively harmless compared to legal alcohol - pot has never been shown to
cause an overdose death - but marijuana prohibition is deadly. As long as
marijuana distribution remains in the hands of organized crime, consumers
will continue to come into contact with harder drugs like meth. Drug policy
reform may send the wrong message to children, but I like to think the
children themselves are more important than the message. Opportunistic
tough-on-drugs politicians would no doubt disagree.

Robert Sharpe Drug Policy Alliance Washington, D.C.