Pubdate: Sat, 17 Jul 2010
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2010 Nelson D. Crandall
Contact:  http://www.mercurynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390
Author: Nelson D. Crandall

MARIJUANA BAN HAS OTHER SOCIAL COSTS

Louis Miller (Opinion, July 12) claims everyone who favors 
legalization of marijuana "just wants to get high." I agree with 
Miller's claims about the health risks and social costs associated 
with marijuana, but he should not ignore the social costs that 
criminalization imposes.

These costs include environmental damage to public forestlands, fires
in residential areas from illegal pot houses, violent crime, property
crime and the skyrocketing cost of incarceration, among others. (For
more information about the failure of criminalization, visit the Law
Enforcement Against Prohibition website at www.leap.cc ) If Miller had
a compelling argument against legalization, he would not have to
resort to name-calling to make his case.

Nelson D. Crandall

Menlo Park
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