Pubdate: Tue, 06 Jun 2006 Source: Herald-Dispatch, The (Huntington, WV) Copyright: 2006 The Herald-Dispatch Contact: http://www.hdonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1454 Author: Kirk Muse Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) U.S. SHOULD MODEL CZECHS' DRUG POLICY Suppose another country had almost no drug problem. Suppose that country had less than a small fraction of 1 percent of our drug arrests. And suppose that country had almost no "drug-related crime" and that their robbery rate was a tiny fraction of our robbery rate. Do you suppose it might be wise to carefully observe that other country's drug policy and that we should model that other country's drug policy? Well, there is such a country: The Czech Republic. The Czech Republic is the only country in the world where adult citizens can legally use, possess and grow small quantities of marijuana. (In the Netherlands, marijuana is quasi-legal -- not officially legal.) According to our drug war cheerleaders, tolerant marijuana laws cause people to use other, much more dangerous drugs, such as methamphetamine and heroin. Obviously, this doesn't happen in the Czech Republic. Why not? Could it be that when people can legally obtain marijuana at an affordable price, they tend not to use or desire any other recreational drugs? Could it be that marijuana legalization actually creates a roadblock to hard drug use -- not a gateway? Could it be that the vast majority of our so-called "drug-related crime" is caused by our marijuana prohibition policies? Should we throw another trillion dollars down the drug war rat hole? Or should we do something different -- dramatically different? Kirk Muse Mesa, Ariz. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman