Pubdate: Thu, 29 Sep 2005
Source: Boulder Weekly (CO)
Copyright: 2005 Boulder Weekly
Contact:  http://www.boulderweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/57
Author: Kirk Muse

THE PRICE OF PROHIBITION

I'm writing about Evan Ackerfeld's thoughtful letter: "Booze vs.
ganja" (Letters edition, Sept. 15). I submit that the vast majority of
drug users would use only marijuana if it were available at a
reasonable price. But it's not available at a reasonable price. In the
early 1970s marijuana sold for $10 an ounce. Now it sells for several
hundred dollars an ounce. Today's price of marijuana is the result of
the "prohibition tax" that goes to organized crime.

If marijuana users cannot obtain marijuana at a reasonable price, many
switch to other drugs-like meth or alcohol. And because marijuana is
illegal, it is sold only by criminals, criminals who often sell other
drugs-like meth.

Thus the so-called "gateway effect."

If marijuana were legally available at licensed business
establishments like tobacco and alcohol is, our meth problem would be
a tiny fraction of what it is today. And our alcohol consumption would
be substantially less that it is today.

Perhaps this is the real reason it's illegal.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake