Pubdate: Mon, 17 Feb 2014
Source: Buffalo News (NY)
Copyright: 2014 The Buffalo News
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/GXIzebQL
Website: http://www.buffalonews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/61
Author: Adam Scavone
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n163/a02.html

STATE NEEDS TO AMEND ITS FAILED DRUG POLICIES

Reading Douglas Turner's column, "State must never allow recreational 
marijuana," was like taking a trip back through time to the era of 
"reefer madness." Like the architect of marijuana prohibition, Harry 
J. Anslinger, Turner conflates marijuana with heroin, and then jumps 
on the most recent, high-profile celebrity heroin overdose to crusade 
against marijuana and call for endless marijuana arrests. In other 
words, he wants more of the same failed policies that have gotten us 
where we are today.

Heroin and painkillers pose very real public health problems that are 
killing people across New York every single month, and people seeking 
treatment are often "waitlisted" for lack of resources. Assemblywoman 
Crystal Peoples-Stokes' recently introduced bill to legalize, tax and 
regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol includes a 
provision that would dedicate a significant portion of marijuana tax 
receipts to the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services for 
expanded treatment and prevention programs.

This seems to me to be a more reasonable and rational approach that 
has the added benefit of allowing police, courts and prosecutors to 
spend time and resources on more important tasks than finding and 
prosecuting adults who use marijuana.

Adam Scavone Co-founder and Director New York Cannabis Alliance
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom