Marijuana prohibition is gateway-drug policy
Editor:
The vote by B.C. municipal leaders to lobby the federal government to decriminalize marijuana is a step in the right direction.
There is a big difference between condoning marijuana use and protecting children from drugs.
Decriminalization acknowledges the social reality of marijuana and frees users from criminal records.
What’s really needed is a regulated market with age controls.
Separating the hard and soft drug markets is critical as the marijuana plant is relatively harmless.
Marijuana prohibition, on the other hand, is deadly.
As long as drug cartels and biker gangs control marijuana distribution, consumers of the most popular illicit drug will come into contact with hard drugs like cocaine, meth and heroin.
Marijuana prohibition is a gateway-drug policy.
Robert Sharpe
policy analyst
Common Sense for Drug Policy
csdp.org
Washington, D.C.
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