Pubdate: Fri, 30 Nov 2012
Source: Coquitlam Now, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012Lower Mainland Publishing Group, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.thenownews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1340
Author: Robert Sharpe

FEW WINNERS IN WAR ON DRUGS

Now that neighbouring Washington state and Colorado have legalized
marijuana, Ottawa can no longer claim Canada must uphold marijuana
prohibition in order to maintain good U.S. relations.

In 2002, the Canadian Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs
concluded that marijuana is relatively benign, prohibition contributes
to organized crime, and law enforcement efforts have little impact on
patterns of use.

Consider the experience of the former land of the free and current
world leader in per capita incarceration.

The United States has double the rate of marijuana use as the
Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available to adults.

The only winners in the war on marijuana are drug cartels and
shameless tough-on-drugs politicians who've built careers confusing
the drug war's tremendous collateral damage with a comparatively
harmless plant.

Robert Sharpe MPA Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy
Washington, DC
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt