Pubdate: Wed, 26 Mar 2003
Source: Kansas City Star (MO)
Copyright: 2003 The Kansas City Star
Contact:  http://www.kcstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/221
Author: Michael Kerner,  District coordinator, Libertarian Party of Kansas

THE DRUG WAR

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy recently launched a 
newspaper ad campaign purporting to warn parents of the dangers of youth 
marijuana use. These ads -- which cost taxpayers more than $150 million per 
year -- are little more than scare tactics, spreading misinformation and 
distortions.

The government has no business using tax money for this. Exaggerating the 
harmful effects of marijuana does nothing to prevent or reduce teen 
marijuana use. Such a tactic can only backfire, causing teens to lose trust 
in everything authority tells them.

And those politicians who say that no one goes to jail just for possession 
or use of marijuana are lying. The reality of marijuana in America is this: 
You can go to jail for it. Teens, adults, seriously ill people -- all have 
received prison sentences for using marijuana. People have had their cars 
or homes taken from them for marijuana possession, and people have been 
killed in no-knock searches executed on suspicion of marijuana possession.

Michael Kerner

District coordinator, Libertarian Party of Kansas

Lenexa
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom