Pubdate: Thu, 09 Feb 2006
Source: Salt Lake City Weekly (UT)
Copyright: 2006 Copperfield Publishing
Contact:  http://www.slweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/382
Author: Kirk Muse
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

LEGALIZE, AND CLOSE THE GATE

I'm writing about Bruce Mirken's outstanding letter, "Prohibition 
Doesn't Work" [Feb. 2, City Weekly]. I'd like to add that if 
tough-on-drugs policies worked, the quixotic goal of a drug-free 
America would have been reached a long time ago. And, if tolerant 
drug policies created more drug use, the Netherlands would have much 
higher drug usage rates than the United States.

They do not. In fact, the Dutch use marijuana and other recreational 
drugs at much lower rates than Americans do. See the Website: 
DrugWarFacts.org/TheNethe.htm. And, if tolerant drug policies caused 
more overall crime, especially violent crime, the Dutch would have 
much higher crime rates than the United States.

They do not. The Dutch murder rate is less than one-third the United 
States' per-capita murder rate, and their rate of incarceration is 
about one-seventh of our incarceration rate.

In the Netherlands, marijuana is sold to adults without criminal 
sanctions in coffee shops. In the United States, marijuana is sold by 
criminals who often sell more dangerous drugs and who often offer 
free samples of more dangerous drugs to their marijuana customers. 
Thus, the gateway effect.

Legalize, regulate and control the sale of marijuana and we close the 
gateway to hard drugs like meth.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman