Pubdate: Wed, 08 Jan 2014
Source: International New York Times (International)
Copyright: 2014 The New York Times Company
Contact:  http://international.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/212
Note: Was International Herald-Tribune until Nov. 2013
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n011/a06.html
Author: Myrna Walton

MARIJUANA AND LEGALIZATION

Regarding "Weed: Been there. Done that." (Jan. 4): David Brooks is a 
terrific thinker and writer, and practically everything in his column 
rang true for me, having survived a not-too-misspent youth in the 
1960s and '70s in the United States. But he falters at the end by 
seeming to imply his disapproval of legalization. Society nudges us 
toward good behavior in many ways. With tobacco, for example, we have 
high "sin taxes," labeling, ad campaigns, restrictions on where 
smoking is allowed and so on. All these work to some extent.

Why not do the same for marijuana? In that way we could send the 
right message: Marijuana is not great for you, but it would be worse 
to continue to prohibit it. At the very least, legalizing marijuana 
would dramatically reduce the hypocrisy index in our society.

MYRNA WALTON,

PARIS
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom