Pubdate: Mon, 02 Jan 2006 Source: Hartford Courant (CT) Copyright: 2006 The Hartford Courant Contact: http://www.courant.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/183 Author: Clifford Wallace Thornton Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n007/a05.html APPROACH TO DRUGS DELUSIONAL The Dec. 28 article "Police: 'Nosy' Mom Foils Drug Deal" [Connecticut section] is another in a long line of stories about the so-called war on drugs. Of the more than 1.7 million drug arrests this year, more than 700,000 will be for marijuana. Hundreds of thousands of those arrested will be under the age of 18. Why do we continue to give our children unlimited access to this drug and then punish them for obtaining it? After almost a century of prohibition of this drug, it is still so popular, but we as parents continue to believe it is not. Why do we still say we are being smart on crime when we are actually being stupid on crime? Why do we think our young people are stupid? Our young people know that adults have become delusional in their approach to drugs. This is why our youths have such a hard time with adult culture: Marijuana is part of our culture, and we as adults will not recognize this. Young brains can't handle marijuana. Like sex and alcohol, the decision about whether to take a toke should be reserved for people with proper seasoning: old enough to vote, finished with high school and stepping into adulthood. Let's be smart on drugs and bring them inside of the law. Clifford Wallace Thornton President Efficacy Hartford Efficacy is a nonprofit organization focued on solving social problems. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake