ECSTASY BUST HERE IS JUST ONE MORE DRUG-WAR FAILURE

I first heard about the drug Ecstasy while attending college at
William and Mary. Although pot is fairly common on college campuses,
W&M is hardly a party school, so I was surprised to learn that a
(very) small minority of students were using Ecstasy.

Twelve years later, Ecstasy is making headlines across the nation,
including at a drug bust in Norfolk (news, Jan. 18).

Ecstasy won't be the last illegal drug to make headlines unless
policymakers acknowledge the drug war's inherent failure. Drug
policies modeled after alcohol prohibition have given rise to a
youth-oriented black market, with illegal drug dealers pushing
profitable "club-drugs" like Ecstasy, regardless of the dangers posed.

Taxing and regulating marijuana, the most popular illicit drug, is a
cost-effective alternative to the never-ending 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 enforceable age
controls. Right now kids have an easier time buying pot than beer.

Robert Sharpe,

The Lindesmith Center,

Drug Policy Foundation,

Washington, D.C.