DRUG WAR IS FAILING

Jeffrey Brockway's Feb. 19 opinion was appropriately titled, "Ecstacy just
the latest drug threat." Unfortunately, it won't be the last until
politicians acknowledge the drug war's inherent failure.

Drug policies modeled after our disastrous experiment with alcohol
prohibition have given rise to a youth-oriented, illicit market. Illegal
drug dealers recruit minors who are immune to adult sentences.

Taxing and regulating marijuana, the most popular illicit drug, is a
cost-effective alternative to the $ 50 billion drug war. 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 age controls. At present, kids
have an easier time buying pot than beer.

More disturbing is the manner in which marijuana's illegal status exposes
users to sellers of hard drugs. Marijuana may be relatively harmless
compared to alcohol, 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 hard drugs.

Robert Sharpe,

Washington, D.C.