Pubdate: Sat, 30 Jul 2005
Source: Star-Banner, The (FL)
Copyright: 2005 The Star-Banner
Contact:  http://www.starbanner.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1533
Author: Kirk Muse
Ref: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1175/a03.html

A TAXING VICE

I'm writing about the outstanding letter, "Don't force all" (July 24). I'd 
like to add that prohibition not only doesn't work -- it's counterproductive.

Before marijuana was criminalized via the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, the 
vast majority of Americans had never even heard of marijuana. Now everybody 
in the U.S. knows what marijuana is, and our government estimates that at 
least 90 million Americans have used it. About half of all high school 
students will use marijuana before they graduate.

It is human nature for people to desire what they are told they cannot 
have, especially children. The lure of the "forbidden fruit" is very 
powerful. In the Netherlands where marijuana is available to adults without 
criminal sanctions, the use of marijuana and other drugs is substantially 
lower than in the U.S. (See www.drugwarfacts.org).

In the Netherlands marijuana is sold by licensed businesses. In the U.S., 
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 tax the sale of marijuana and we will close the 
gateway. Speaking of taxes, it seems to me that non-marijuana users would 
be in favor of taxing a product that they don't use. Around these parts, 
taxing someone else's vice is very popular.

Kirk Muse Mesa, Az.
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