Pubdate: Sun, 25 Nov 2012
Source: Daily Sentinel, The (Grand Junction, CO)
Copyright: 2012 Cox Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.gjsentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2084
Author: Marc Foster
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v12/n588/a05.html
Note: Title by newshawk

MANAGE MARIJUANA AS ALCOHOL

In his commentary against marijuana, Dr. Sherman D. Straw argued "from
the 117 medical texts and respected journal articles in (his) file."
Note that he did not quote from peer-reviewed papers or from studies
that withstood the test of scientific process.

Those studies should be undertaken. European studies have shown
marijuana to be less addictive, destructive and harmful than nicotine
or alcohol.

I have professional friends in the fields of medicine, dentistry,
insurance, law, engineering, architecture, film, art, ministry, music,
real estate, financial management and retail who use marijuana, and it
has not been a gateway drug for them, an addiction to overcome, or a
distraction to their careers.

Prohibition has increased values, making trafficking very profitable.
This war has not been won because this multibillion-dollar industry
didn't want it to end. Even small-time individuals can earn more
selling marijuana than by working a regular job for $7 per hour.

We enforce prohibition with guns, propaganda and prisons, spending
more than $7 billion annually in shockingly cruel ways. But their
efforts have not deterred marijuana use. Traffickers have armed
themselves to protect their $ 1 billion in annual profits.

State and local law enforcement made 97 percent of the more than
800,000 marijuana-related arrests in 2010. No state is under any
obligation to criminalize an activity because the federal government
does. Sadly, this war has already ruined millions of individual lives.

If marijuana is managed as alcohol, several benefits will occur.
Traffickers' wealth will be taken away; education, health and public
works will see increased tax revenues; and a major source of violence
will be removed.

MARC FOSTER

Grand Junction
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MAP posted-by: Matt