Pubdate: Thu, 12 Feb 2009
Source: Sault Star, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2009 The Sault Star
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/TR0eLgWP
Website: http://www.saultstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1071
Author: Robert Sharpe

MARIJUANA PROHIBITION IS BUILT ON LIES

Olympian Michael Phelps is in good company. The list of  professional 
athletes caught using marijuana is long.

Could it be that drug warriors have been lying about  marijuana's 
health impact? They've definitely been  lying about the deterrent 
value of marijuana  prohibition.

The United States has higher rates of marijuana use  than the 
Netherlands, where marijuana is legally  available to adults over 18.

Marijuana prohibition is built on lies, beginning with  the reefer 
madness myths of the 1930s and continuing to  this day with U. S. 
government propaganda masquerading  as science.

Truthfully, marijuana is easily the least harmful  recreational drug, 
legal or otherwise.

If health outcomes determined drug laws instead of  cultural norms, 
marijuana would be legal.

The question is, will U. S. President Barack Obama  bring change or 
will he continue to subsidize the  prejudices of culture warriors?

Robert Sharpe,  Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug  Policy, Washington, D. C.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom