Pubdate: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 Source: Sentinel Review (CN ON) Copyright: 2008 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. Contact: http://woodstocksentinelreview.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2385 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n127/a03.html Author: Jerry Epstein 'WHY IS MARIJUANA STILL PROHIBITED?' Re: Marijuana vending machines - unbelievable (One person's view, Jan. 31) The flap over marijuana vending machines is another case of being unable to see the forest for the trees. Government data since 1975 shows about 85 per cent of high school seniors annually tell us marijuana is "easy to get," easier than legal alcohol. This is largely because over a million teens sell drugs for the illegal profits caused by prohibition. Teens also often sell other drugs, but marijuana is the financial backbone for many major cartels, right down to mom and pop operations. Vending machines might at least reduce teen temptations to sell and might help erase the gateway to other drugs. The National Academy of Sciences pointed out in 1982 and 1999 there is no drug gateway, but there is a market gateway that only exists because marijuana is illegal. Experts in pharmacology repeatedly rank marijuana as much less dangerous than alcohol, the drug responsible for 83 per cent of U.S. drug addiction in 2006. The Dutch have had quasi legal marijuana for over 30 years, their teens still use less than ours and there have been no significant problems. The Dutch government has collected taxes, while we've been spending taxes to arrest over 15 million for marijuana offences. Our government called for marijuana prohibition in 1937, based on absurd (media-inflamed) arguments it killed users and made them violent. The AMA denied this, based on 90 years of experience with medical use of marijuana, but was ignored. We now know marijuana toxicity has killed no one and it tends to suppress violence. The proper question: Why is marijuana still prohibited? Jerry Epstein Houston, Tex. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake