Pubdate: Sun, 05 Feb 2006
Source: Times, The  (Munster IN)
Copyright: 2006 The Munster Times
Contact:  http://www.nwitimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/832
Author: Kirk Muse
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n120/a06.html

REGULATION, NOT PROHIBITION, IS ANSWER TO U.S. DRUG PROBLEM

Regarding Robert Sharpe's outstanding Jan. 27 letter, "Being tough on
drugs threatens public safety":

If tough-on-drugs policies worked, the quixotic goal of a drug free
America would have been reached a long time ago.

And if tolerant drug policies created more drug use, the Netherlands
would have much higher drug usage rates than the United States. They
do not.

In fact, the Dutch use marijuana and other recreational drugs at much
lower rates than Americans do. See www.drugwarfacts.org/thenethe.htm.

And if tolerant drug policies caused more overall crime, especially
violent crime, the Dutch would have much higher crime rates than the
United States. They do not.

The Dutch murder rate is less than one-third the U.S. per-capita
murder rate, and their rate of incarceration is about one-seventh the
U.S. rate.

In the Netherlands, marijuana is sold to adults without criminal
sanctions in coffee shops.

In America, 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 control the sale of marijuana to close the
gateway.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake