Pubdate: Fri, 3 Nov 2006 Source: DrugSense Weekly (DSW) Website: http://www.drugsense.org/current.htm LETTER OF THE WEEK ANTI-POT LAWS DON'T WORK By Neal Levine The Nevada Appeal recently ran an editorial against Question 7, the marijuana initiative. Unfortunately, the authors attributed many claims to our campaign that we have never actually made. We have always been straightforward with our argument: Our marijuana laws don't work because anyone who wants to use marijuana can. In the meantime, the criminal market for marijuana is financing the activities of violent gangs and drug dealers. The Appeal claims marijuana can be harmful, and we've never disputed that. But we do state that marijuana is safer than alcohol - a regulated substance that kills nearly 20,000 Americans every year by overdose - while no one has ever died of a marijuana overdose. The editorial claimed more people would use marijuana if it were "more readily available." But marijuana is already widely available - how else would 100 million Americans have tried it? The Appeal states that there is no war on marijuana, yet Nevada law enforcement spends $42 million every year in its attempt to enforce the failed policy of marijuana prohibition. Finally, we agree with the Appeal on at least one thing: voters should use common sense when deciding how to vote on Question 7. Allowing marijuana to remain in the criminal market, where it finances the activities of violent gangs and drug dealers, doesn't make much sense for Nevada. It's time for an alternative to the failures of marijuana prohibition. If you favor passing a sensible marijuana policy for Nevada, vote yes on Question 7 on Nov. 7. Neal Levine Campaign manager, Yes on Question 7 Pubdate - Fri, 27 Oct 2006 Source - Nevada Appeal (Carson City, NV) Referenced - http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1385/a12.html - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake