Pubdate: Wed, 27 May 2009
Source: Christian Science Monitor (US)
Copyright: 2009 The Christian Science Publishing Society
Contact: http://www.csmonitor.com/cgi-bin/encryptmail.pl?ID=CFF0C5E4
Website: http://www.csmonitor.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/83
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n555/a03.html
Author: Eric Hughes

REASONS TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

Of course marijuana hasn't been endorsed by the major medical
associations or the Food and Drug Administration. Those groups receive
a large portion of their funding from Big Pharma. If marijuana is
legalized, Big Pharma stands to lose big time. Marijuana costs very
little compared to manufactured medications.

Would legalization of marijuana take the violence out of the Mexican
drug war? Absolutely. Take a look at Portugal's drug laws. There
aren't any - and guess what? Violent crime has taken a dramatic nose
dive there. Prohibition keeps the price of drugs artificially high.
When the price is high, there is more at stake. It doesn't take a
rocket scientist to figure out that greed is directly proportional to
violence.

Eric Hughes

Oshawa, Ontario
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