Pubdate: Wed, 08 Feb 2012 Source: Glenwood Springs Post Independent (CO) Copyright: 2012 Glenwood Springs Post Independent Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/ys97xJAX Website: http://www.postindependent.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/821 Author: Howard Wooldridge Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v12/n103/a06.html LEGALIZE POT AND GET RID OF BLACK MARKET Writing from my perspective as a retired street cop, the Feb. 5 article by Rebecca Jones, "Valley teen: Marijuana is widely available," demonstrated the need to treat marijuana like alcohol, that is, legal, regulated and taxed. Kids are not selling beer and cigarettes in school, just an illegal drug like marijuana. Drug policies modeled after alcohol prohibition have given rise to a youth-oriented black market. Illegal drug dealers don't ask for identification for age, but they do recruit minors immune to adult sentences. So much for protecting the children. No teen should have the job option to sell drugs. To help our kids, we should repeal this marijuana prohibition today. Howard Wooldridge Golden - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom