Pubdate: Thu, 13 Sep 2007
Source: Bolton News, The (UK)
Copyright: 2007 Newsquest Media Group
Contact:  http://www.boltoneveningnews.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4314
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n1048/a01.html
Author: Robert Sharpe

FAILED POLICY HAS BOOSTED CRIME AND HARD DRUGS

BOLTON'S indoor cannabis growing operations are a direct result of
cannabis prohibition. Legitimate farmers do not steal electricity to
grow produce in the basements of rented homes. If legal, growing
marijuana would be less profitable than farming tomatoes. As it
stands, the drug war distorts market forces to such an extent that an
easily grown weed is literally worth its weight in gold.

Rather than continue to subsidise organised crime, British
policymakers should ignore the reefer madness hysteria of the United
States government and instead to look to The Netherlands. That country
has successfully reduced overall drug use by replacing cannabis
prohibition with adult regulation. Dutch rates of drug use are
significantly lower than US rates in every category.

Separating the hard and soft drug markets and establishing age
controls for cannabis has proven more effective than zero tolerance.
In Britian and the United States, cannabis provides the black market
contacts that introduce consumers to addictive drugs like cocaine.
This "gateway" is another direct result of cannabis prohibition.

Given that cannabis is arguably safer than legal alcohol, it makes no
sense to continue failed drug policies that finance organised crime
and facilitate hard drug use. Drug policy reform may send the wrong
message to children - but I like to think the children are more
important than the message.

Robert Sharpe, Common Sense for Drug Policy www.csdp.org

Washington DC