Pubdate: Mon, 03 Dec 2012
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2012 The Washington Post Company
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/mUgeOPdZ
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Authors: Robert L. DuPont and Peter Bensinger
Note: Robert L. DuPont was director of the National Institute on Drug 
Abuse from 1973 to 1978. Peter Bensinger was head of the U.S. Drug 
Enforcement Administration from 1976 to 1981.
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v12/n607/a04.html

Taking Exception

THE RECKLESS EXPERIMENT OF COMMERCIALIZING POT

Regarding the Nov. 26 editorial "What should the feds do about pot?":

The new laws of Colorado and Washington state do not simply 
decriminalize marijuana; they commercialize its production and sale, 
thus creating a major commercialized drug industry. These laws are 
explicitly modeled on the tobacco and alcohol industries - industries 
that make the bulk of their profits from substance abusers. Marijuana 
has 60 percent more cancer-causing agents than tobacco and stays in 
the body and brain 20 times longer than alcohol. There are 
overwhelming public health reasons to oppose legalization of marijuana.

The state laws fly in the face of established federal law and U.S. 
treaty obligations. The Justice Department, an ardent defender of 
federal preemption of conflicting state laws in other issues 
including immigration, has an obligation to stop this reckless 
"experiment" that violates federal and international law and 
threatens both public health and public safety.

Robert L. DuPont, Rockville

Peter Bensinger, Chicago
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom