Pubdate: Sat, 30 Sep 2006
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2006 The Washington Post Company
Page: A16
Contact:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1254/a02.html
Author: Stephen Heath

ILLEGAL, BUT EASY TO GET

Stan White ["Maligned Marijuana," letters, Sept. 20] asked how long 
the Drug Enforcement Administration can keep marijuana away from Americans.

I dispute the notion that the agency is keeping marijuana from many citizens.

Save for the persistent efforts to place obstacles between patients 
and their medical marijuana, the millions of Americans who want 
marijuana don't have much trouble getting it.

Nor do users of other illicit drugs, despite decades of 
ever-escalating drug war policies carried out by the DEA.

This leads to a corollary to the question regarding medical marijuana 
that Mr. White posed:

How long are we as taxpayers going to fund a federal agency that has 
proven itself incapable of fulfilling its primary mission -- that of 
significantly reducing either the demand for or supply of illegal drugs?

Stephen Heath

Public Relations Director

Drug Policy Forum of Florida

Clearwater, Fla.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake