Pubdate: Sat, 02 Feb 2013
Source: Daily Republic, The (SD)
Copyright: 2013 Forum Communications Company
Contact:  http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1320
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n040/a05.html

MARIJUANA USE NOT DETERRED BY BAN

To the Editor:

Joe Graves makes the common mistake of assuming that marijuana 
prohibition actually deters use. The United States has double the 
rate of marijuana use as the Netherlands, where marijuana is legally 
available to adults. Spain legalized personal use cultivation and has 
lower rates of use than the U.S. Portugal decriminalized all drugs 
and still has lower rates of use than the U.S. If anything, marijuana 
prohibition increases use by creating forbidden fruit appeal.

Thanks to public health education, legal tobacco use has declined 
considerably, without any need to criminalize smokers or imprison 
tobacco farmers. The drop in the use of one of the most addictive 
drugs available occurred despite widespread tobacco availability. The 
only winners in the war on marijuana are drug cartels and shameless 
politicians who confuse drug prohibition's tremendous collateral 
damage with a plan to scare up votes.

Robert Sharpe is a policy analyst with Common Sense for Drug Policy 
in Washington, D.C.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom