Pubdate: Sun, 11 Aug 2002
Source: Reporter, The (Fond du Lac, WI)
Copyright: 2002 Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers
Contact:  http://www.wisinfo.com/thereporter/index.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2271
Author: Ari Elias-Bachrach
Note: Ari Elias-Bachrach is president of the Washington University Students
for Sensible Drug Policy.
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1404/a07.html
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

JAIL NOT THE SOLUTION FOR DRUG PROBLEM

In her Backtalk column of July 26, public health nurse Darlene Hanke points 
out some of the dangers of smoking marijuana. Regardless of whether or not 
they are overstated, Ms. Hanke is missing the point.

Whether or not marijuana is harmful, is arrest and incarceration really a 
positive and productive solution? Does arresting hundreds of thousands of 
people every year for marijuana crimes really help keep us safe? Does jail 
time for marijuana users really help them become better citizens? Do we 
really want to spend millions of dollars a year to arrest and jail people 
for smoking marijuana?

The answer to all of these is, of course, no. There are much better ways of 
dealing with the drug problem in this country than prohibition.

Ari Elias-Bachrach, St. Louis, Mo.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager