For all the talk of government inefficiency, wasteful spending and ruinous debt, the political class continues to dismiss any effort to reform a failed, decades-old campaign: the war on drugs.

That point was highlighted this month in a report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy, which noted billions of dollars were being funneled into a circular system that jailed thousands of low-level offenders but failed to get drugs off the street.

"Apparent victories in eliminating one source or trafficking organization are negated almost instantly by the emergence of other sources and traffickers."

[continues 372 words]

Re: "Police weed out 500 plants in Fincastle marijuana bust," March 19 news story:

I'm sure that many marijuana growers and sellers are thankful to the Virginia State Police for this latest marijuana bust and others like it.

Without operations like this, marijuana would be worth what other easy-to-grow weeds are worth -- very little.

Thanks to the Drug Enforcement Administration and other so-called drug warriors, the easy-to-grow weed is worth almost as much as pure gold - -- and completely tax free.

Any marijuana growers, sellers or traffickers arrested will soon be replaced. They always are.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.

[end]

Re: Robert Sharpe's outstanding commentary, "Another wrong turn in the war on drugs" (Feb. 10):

I'd like to add that marijuana is relatively safe in that it has never caused a documented death from its use. However, marijuana prohibition is very dangerous because it then is sold only by criminals -- criminals who often sell other, much more dangerous drugs and who offer free samples to their marijuana customers.

For the sake of our children, we need to regulate and control the sale of marijuana. Only legal products can be regulated by our government. Only legal products can be controlled by our government. And only legal products can be taxed by our government.

It seems to me that nonmarijuana users would be very much in favor of taxing a product they don't use.

Around here, taxing someone else's vice is very popular.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.

[end]

Del. William Cleaveland, R-Botetourt County, sponsored one of a slew of bipartisan bills in the 2011 Virginia General Assembly to outlaw the sale and use of synthetic marijuana. His was one incorporated into H.B. 1434, which passed the House without a dissenting vote. The Senate passed a similar bill, also without a "no" vote.

In a year when the entire General Assembly is up for re-election, banning synthetic marijuana is one thing risk-averse legislators can agree on.

[continues 583 words]

No fewer than 17 bipartisan bills to outlaw the sale and use of synthetic marijuana have been filed in the 2011 Virginia General Assembly session. In a year when the entire assembly is up for re-election, banning synthetic marijuana is one thing risk-averse legislators can agree on.

Synthetic marijuana is made from chemicals related to mothballs. The effects may be similar to those of pot, but the chemicals are nothing like marijuana. The synthetics contain carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in amounts large enough to make tobacco look like health food in comparison. The comparative safety of organic marijuana is well-established.

[continues 535 words]

Local Del. Glenn Oder (R - Newport News) has sponsored one of 17 bi-partisan bills to outlaw the sale and use of "synthetic marijuana" in the 2011 Virginia General Assembly session. In a year when the entire General Assembly is up for re-election, banning synthetic marijuana is one thing risk-averse legislators can agree on.

Synthetic marijuana is made from chemicals related to mothballs. The effects may be similar, but the chemicals are nothing like marijuana. The synthetics contain carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in amounts large enough to make tobacco look like health food in comparison. The comparative safety of organic marijuana is well established.

[continues 534 words]

No fewer than 17 bipartisan bills to outlaw the sale and use of "synthetic marijuana" have been filed in the current General Assembly session. In a year when the entire General Assembly is up for re-election, banning synthetic marijuana is one thing risk-averse legislators can agree on.

Synthetic marijuana is made from chemicals related to mothballs. The chemicals are nothing like marijuana, although the effects may be similar. The synthetics contain carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in amounts large enough to make tobacco look like health food in comparison.

[continues 546 words]

Criminalizing Marijuana (Real or Synthetic) Is a Waste of Law Enforcement Resources

In the state legislature's short sessions -- just 45 days to take care of a year's worth of business -- some good bills meet an untimely death.

One of this year's early casualties was a sensible bill that would have decriminalized marijuana.

Its demise wasn't unexpected. What is unexpected is who was behind it: not a liberal but a Virginia gentleman of the Republican persuasion, Del. Harvey Morgan of Gloucester.

[continues 582 words]

The new 2009 Fairfax County Youth Survey released in late October revealed a serious increase in teen marijuana use from the baseline low rates reported in the 2005 survey.

Overall "recent-use" (past 30-day) rates for all students rose from 9.2 percent in 2005 to 11.6 percent in 2009, meaning a 26 percent increase. Especially alarming was the rate for boys, which increased 36 percent.

Page 54 of the survey reads, "Usage ... increased from 2005 to 2009, for all grades, genders and race/ethnicities." This increase is consistent with national teen marijuana use trends. Experts say it is mainly attributable to two primary influences: Massive publicity about "medical marijuana" initiatives, which persuade teens that marijuana must be harmless if it's OK for medicine, and the proliferation of high-tech cell phones among students, giving local pushers direct access to students in the market for drugs and alcohol.

[continues 394 words]