The drug war (Sept. 17 Daily 49er) is largely a war on marijuana smokers. Last year there were 847,863 marijuana arrests in the U.S., almost 90 percent for simple possession. At a time when state and local governments are laying off police, firefighters and teachers, this country continues to spend scarce public resources criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis.
The end result of this ongoing culture war is not necessarily lower rates of use. The U.S. has higher rates of marijuana use than the Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available. An admitted former pot smoker, President Barack Obama, has thus far maintained the status quo rather than pursue change. Would Obama be in the White House if he had been convicted of a marijuana offense in his youth?
Marijuana decriminalization is a long overdue step in the right direction.
Students who want to help end the intergenerational culture war, otherwise known as the war, on some drugs should contact Students for Sensible Drug Policy at www.SchoolsNotPrisons.com.
Robert Sharpe,
Policy Analyst — Common Sense for Drug Policy
Washington, D.C.