Pubdate: Mon, 28 Oct 2013
Source: Oklahoman, The (OK)
Copyright: 2013 The Oklahoma Publishing Co.
Contact: http://www.newsok.com/voices/guidelines
Website: http://newsok.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/318
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n511/a10.html

MARIJUANA PROHIBITION IS A GATEWAY DRUG POLICY

Regarding Ronald Fraser's "Holder's wise choice on fighting 
marijuana" (Point of View, Oct. 19): The drug war is largely a war on 
marijuana. In 2011, there were 757,969 marijuana arrests in the 
United States, almost 90 percent for simple possession. At a time 
when state and local governments are laying off police, firefighters 
and teachers, this country continues to spend enormous public 
resources criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis. 
The result is not lower rates of use.

The United States has higher rates of marijuana use than the 
Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available. Decriminalization 
is a long-overdue step in the right direction. Taxing and regulating 
marijuana would render the drug war obsolete. As long as organized 
crime controls marijuana distribution, consumers will come into 
contact with sellers of hard drugs like meth, cocaine and heroin. 
Marijuana prohibition is a gateway drug policy.

Robert Sharpe, Arlington, Va.

Sharpe is a policy analyst at Common Sense for Drug Policy in Washington, D.C.
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