Pubdate: Thu, 26 Mar 2015
Source: East Valley Tribune (AZ)
Copyright: 2015 East Valley Tribune.
Contact:  http://www.eastvalleytribune.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2708
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n145/a02.html

POLICIES NEED TO HAMMER ORGANIZED CRIME

Regarding Bill Richardson'=C2=80=C2=99s March 8 op-ed, there is a middle 
ground
between drug prohibition and blanket legalization. Switzerland'=C2=80=C2=99
s
heroin maintenance program has been shown to reduce disease, death and
crime by providing addicts with standardized doses in a clinical
setting. The success of the Swiss program has inspired heroin
maintenance pilot projects in Canada, Germany, Spain, Denmark and the
Netherlands. If expanded, prescription heroin maintenance would
deprive organized crime of a core client base. This would render
illegal heroin trafficking unprofitable and spare future generations
addiction.

Marijuana should be taxed and regulated like alcohol, only without the
ubiquitous advertising. Separating the hard and soft drug markets is
critical. As long as organized crime controls marijuana distribution,
consumers will continue to come into contact with sellers of addictive
drugs like cocaine and meth. It makes no sense to waste tax dollars on
failed marijuana policies that finance organized crime and facilitate
hard drug use. Drug policy reform may send the wrong message to
children, but I like to think the children are more important than the
message.

Robert Sharpe,

Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt