DRUG WAR THREATENS DEMOCRACY

Regarding your May 27 editorial, the latest drug war exemption to the
Constitution handed down by the Supreme Court won't win the war on
some drugs. The steady rise in drug-sniffing dogs in schools,
warrantless police searches, and random drug testing have led to a
loss of civil liberties in America, while failing miserably at
preventing drug use.

Based on findings that criminal records are inappropriate as health
interventions and ineffective as deterrents, a majority of European
Union countries have decriminalized marijuana. Despite marijuana
prohibition, lifetime use of marijuana is higher in the United States
than any European country.

The drug war threatens the integrity of a country founded on the
concept of limited government. It's not possible to wage a moralistic
war against consensual vices unless privacy is completely eliminated,
along with the U.S. Constitution. America can either be a free country
or a "drug-free" country, but not both.

Robert Sharpe

Policy analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy