Pubdate: Sun, 25 Sep 2005
Source: Citizen, The (Auburn, NY)
Copyright: 2005 Auburn Publishers Inc.
Contact: http://www.auburnpub.com/services/send_a_letter
Website: http://www.auburnpub.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1491
Author: Kirk Muse
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1486/a03.html

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA AND END GATEWAY EFFECT

I'm writing about Anne Gleason's outstanding story about Howard 
Wooldridge of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition: "Ex-cop now 
horseback drug activist" (9-15-05).

I'd like to add that if tough-on-drugs policies worked, the quixotic 
goal of a drug-free America would have been reached a long time ago.

And if tolerant drug policies created more drug use, the Netherlands 
would have much higher drug usage rates than the United States.

They do not.

In fact, the Dutch use marijuana and other recreational drugs at much 
lower rates than Americans do. See the Web site: 
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/thenethe.htm.

And if tolerant drug policies caused more overall crime, especially 
violent crime, the Dutch would have much higher crime rates than the U. S.

They do not.

The Dutch murder rate is less than one-third the U. S. per capita 
murder rate and their rate of incarceration is about one-seventh the 
U. S. incarceration rate.

In the Netherlands, marijuana is sold to adults without criminal 
sanctions in coffee shops.

In the United States, marijuana is sold by criminals who often sell 
other, much more dangerous drugs, and who often offer free samples of 
the more dangerous drugs to their marijuana customers --- thus the 
gateway effect.

Legalize, regulate and control the sale of marijuana and we will 
close the gateway to hard drugs.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake