News (Media Awareness Project) - US MI: PUB LTE: Marijuana Should Be Regulated, Legal |
Title: | US MI: PUB LTE: Marijuana Should Be Regulated, Legal |
Published On: | 2012-01-26 |
Source: | Midland Daily News (MI) |
Fetched On: | 2012-01-28 06:01:07 |
MARIJUANA SHOULD BE REGULATED, LEGAL
To the editor:
Regarding Tammy Weckerly's Jan. 15 Pulse of Midland County op-ed, 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.
Throwing more money at the problem is no solution. Attempts to limit
the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant only
increase the profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs
like heroin, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to
increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war
doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime.
Taxing and regulating marijuana, the most popular illicit drug, is a
cost-effective alternative to a never-ending drug war. As long as
marijuana distribution is controlled by organized crime, consumers
will continue to come into contact with hard drugs like
methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. This "gateway" is a direct result
of marijuana prohibition.
Robert Sharpe, MPA
Policy Analyst
Common Sense for Drug Policy
www.csdp.org
To the editor:
Regarding Tammy Weckerly's Jan. 15 Pulse of Midland County op-ed, 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.
Throwing more money at the problem is no solution. Attempts to limit
the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant only
increase the profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs
like heroin, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to
increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war
doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime.
Taxing and regulating marijuana, the most popular illicit drug, is a
cost-effective alternative to a never-ending drug war. As long as
marijuana distribution is controlled by organized crime, consumers
will continue to come into contact with hard drugs like
methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. This "gateway" is a direct result
of marijuana prohibition.
Robert Sharpe, MPA
Policy Analyst
Common Sense for Drug Policy
www.csdp.org
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