Pubdate: Sat, 14 Nov 2015
Source: Baltimore Sun (MD)
Copyright: 2015 The Baltimore Sun Company
Contact:  http://www.baltimoresun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/37
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n643/a04.html

BAN ON MARIJUANA LEADS TO DANGER OF FAKE DRUGS

Regarding Dr. Leana Wen's Nov. 11 op-ed, the use of so-called 
synthetic marijuana is an unintended side-effect of the war on 
natural marijuana ("Real danger in fake drugs").

Consumers are turning to potentially toxic drugs, made in China and 
sold as research chemicals before being repackaged as incense for 
retail sale in the U.S. A punitive criminal justice system 
incentivizes use. These potentially deadly chemical highs cannot be 
detected by standard drug tests. Military personnel and persons on 
probation use synthetic drugs to escape detection.

Cracking down on retail sales will drive users to the Internet where 
synthetic highs are readily available. A better solution is to 
legalize retail marijuana sales and stop drug testing for marijuana. 
Taxing and regulating marijuana would eliminate the demand for 
synthetics, provide consumers with a safer alternative to alcohol, 
and close the gateway to hard drugs by taking marijuana distribution 
out of the hands of criminals.

Marijuana may be relatively harmless, but marijuana prohibition is deadly.

Robert Sharpe, Washington The writer is a policy analyst with Common 
Sense for Drug Policy.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom