Pubdate: Wed, 17 Jun 2015
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.torontosun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n322/a05.html
Author: Robert Sharpe
Page: 20

LEGALIZE POT

Regarding Michele Mandel's June 12 column ("Supreme Court smokes 
feds"), not only should medical marijuana be made available in all 
forms to patients in need, but all adult marijuana use should be 
legal, taxed and regulated. Drug policies modelled after alcohol 
prohibition have given rise to a youth-oriented black market. Illegal 
drug dealers don't ID for age, but they do recruit minors, immune to 
adult sentences. Throwing more money at the problem is no solution. 
Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains 
constant only increase the profitability of drug trafficking. Taxing 
and regulating marijuana, the most popular illicit drug, is a 
cost-effective alternative to never-ending drug war. As long as 
marijuana distribution is controlled by organized crime, consumers 
will continue to come into contact with hard drugs like 
methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. Marijuana prohibition is a 
gateway drug policy.

Robert Sharpe, MPA

Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy

(Cigarettes are legal. There's a thriving black market in them as 
well because governments tax them too much. Same thing will happen with pot)
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom