Pubdate: Sat, 04 Apr 2015
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2015 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Eric Geisterfer
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n190/a05.html

THE FAILURE OF THE DRUG WARS

Re "No more half-baked pot votes," Editorial, April 1

With all due respect to the state's commission on marijuana policy 
and The Times, kids have had easy access to marijuana for decades. 
Drug dealers don't check IDs, but legal dispensaries do.

That is why, according to research on marijuana legalization, teen 
use has stayed the same or gone down slightly in places that have 
legalized it for medical or recreational use. Just ask the Mexican 
cartels how their business models have been impacted by legalization 
in parts of the U.S.

Furthermore, we already have a living, breathing model with real-life 
results: Portugal. In 2001, that country decriminalized all drugs 
with certain limits for personal possession and provided treatment to 
those considered to be addicted.

Ten years later, studies showed a decrease in the number of drug 
addicts and levels of drug use below the European average.

At this point, most Americans realize the war on drugs has been a 
complete failure. It's time to try a new approach: legalize, 
regulate, tax and educate.

Eric Geisterfer

San Pedro
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom