Pubdate: Thu, 14 Oct 2010
Source: Sacramento Bee (CA)
Copyright: 2010 Mark Dempsey
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/0n4cG7L1
Website: http://www.sacbee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/376
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10.n837.a04.html
Author: Mark Dempsey

DRUG WAR HAS BEEN A DISASTER

Re "Legal pot would hurt state" (Letters, Oct. 13): Ben Sanacor writes
that ending marijuana prohibition with Prop. 19 would be "very bad"
for California.

But how has prohibition (aka the "War on Drugs") been
working?

1. Per-capita, the U.S. imprisons more than seven times as many people
as Canada  the difference stems from our draconian drug laws  yet our
crime rates differ little.

2. Treatment is one-seventh the cost of prison, and far more
effective.

3. Currently, we're using the criminal justice system to treat what is
clearly an illness (drug addiction). How about imprisoning diabetics?
Would that work?

Decriminalizing marijuana does not endorse its use. It means we'll
stop using sledgehammers to swat flies.

Mark Dempsey, Orangevale
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake