Pubdate: Wed, 08 Feb 2012
Source: Daily News-Tribune (WV)
Copyright: 2012 Keyser Mineral Daily News-Tribune
Contact: (304)788-3398
Website: http://www.newstribune.info/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1959
Author: Robert Sharpe

ADDRESS SYNTHETIC POT DANGERS BY LEGALIZING NATURAL MARIJUANA

To the Editor:

The use of synthetic marijuana is an unintended side-effect of the 
war on natural marijuana. Consumers are turning to potentially toxic 
drugs made in China and sold as research chemicals before being 
repackaged as legal incense. Expanding the drug war will do little 
other than add to what is already the highest incarceration rate in 
the world. Chinese chemists will tweak formulas to stay one step 
ahead of the law and two steps ahead of the drug tests. New versions 
won't be safer. Misguided efforts to protect children from drugs are 
putting children at great risk.

A better solution is to legalize marijuana. Unlike alcohol, marijuana 
has never been shown to cause an overdose death, nor does it share 
the addictive properties of tobacco. Taxing and regulating marijuana 
would eliminate the demand for synthetic marijuana, provide consumers 
with a comparatively safe alternative to alcohol, and close the 
gateway to hard drugs by taking marijuana distribution out of the 
hands of violent drug cartels. Marijuana may be relatively harmless, 
but marijuana prohibition is deadly.

Robert Sharpe, MPA

Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

www.csdp.org

Washington, DC
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom