Pubdate: Sat, 10 Nov 2007 Source: Tampa Tribune (FL) Copyright: 2007 The Tribune Co. Contact: http://www.tbo.com/news/opinion/submissionform.htm Website: http://www.tampatrib.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/446 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n1284/a09.html Author: Robert Sharpe HARM IS EXAGGERATED Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum just doesn't get it. Indoor marijuana grow operations are a direct result of marijuana prohibition. Legitimate farmers do not steal electricity to grow produce in the basements of rented homes. If legal, growing marijuana would be less profitable then farming tomatoes. As it stands, the drug war distorts market forces such that an easily grown weed is literally worth its weight in gold. For an objective take on marijuana, look to Canada. In 2002, the Canadian Senate concluded that marijuana is relatively harmless, marijuana prohibition contributes to organized crime, and law enforcement efforts have little impact on patterns of use. In the words of Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, "Scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that cannabis is substantially less harmful than alcohol and should be treated not as a criminal issue but as a social and public health issue." Robert Sharpe Washington, D.C. The writer is a policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake