STIRRING THE POT

Re: Mindelle Jacobs's Tuesday column. Not only should medical
marijuana be made available to patients in need, but adult
recreational use should be regulated. 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 recruit minors
immune to adult sentences. Taxing and regulating marijuana is a
cost-effective alternative to a never-ending drug war. As long as
marijuana distribution is controlled by organized crime, consumers
will come into contact with hard drugs. This "gateway" is a result of
marijuana prohibition.

ROBERT SHARPE

COMMON SENSE FOR DRUG POLICY

(This topic remains a hot potato.)