Pubdate: Fri, 10 Jan 2014
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2014 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n017/a01.html

Re: "The perils of legalized pot," Jan. 6 Ruth Marcus column.

THE PERILS OF POT

Ruth Marcus makes the mistake of assuming that marijuana prohibition 
actually deters use. If the goal of marijuana prohibition is to 
subsidize violent drug cartels, prohibition is a grand success. If 
the goal is to deter use, marijuana prohibition is a catastrophic 
failure. The U.S. has double the rate of marijuana use as the 
Netherlands, where marijuana is legal.

The criminalization of Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis has 
no basis in science. The war on marijuana consumers is a failed 
cultural inquisition, not an evidence-based public health campaign. 
Not just in Colorado (where pot is already being taxed) but 
throughout the nation, it's time to stop the pointless arrests and 
instead tax legal marijuana.

Robert Sharpe, Arlington, Va. The writer is a policy analyst with 
Common Sense for Drug Policy in Washington, D.C.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom