POLICIES SPAWN BLACK MARKET

The methamphetamine lab explosion that injured two Springfield men
this week is reminiscent of the deadly exploding liquor stills that
sprung 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 push highly
profitable addictive drugs like meth. 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 enforceable age
controls. Right now kids have an easier time buying pot than beer.

More disturbing is the manner in which marijuana's black-market
status exposes users to sellers of hard drugs. Marijuana may be
relatively harmless compared with legal alcohol - the plant 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 hard drugs
like meth.

Robert Sharpe program officer, Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy
Foundation Washington, D.C.