We should not follow US policy on drugs

REGARDING Pat Leahy’s thoughtful letter (‘Only criminals gain from drugs ban,’ Irish Examiner, February 13), the drug war is in large part a war on cannabis, by far the most popular illicit drug.

The ‘monitoring the future’ survey at the University of Michigan in the US reports that lifetime use of cannabis is higher in the US than any European country, yet America is one of the few western countries that uses its criminal justice system to punish citizens who prefer marijuana to Martini.

Despite clear evidence that draconian laws fail to deter use, the former Land of the Free and current record-holder for citizens incarcerated continues to use its superpower status to export a dangerous moral crusade around the globe.

Unlike alcohol, cannabis has never been shown to cause an overdose death.

Neither does it share the addictive properties of tobacco. The short-term health effects of cannabis are inconsequential compared to the long-term effects of criminal records.

Unfortunately, cannabis represents the counterculture to misguided reactionaries intent on prosecuting their version of morality.

Ireland should ‘Just Say No’ to the American inquisition.

Robert Sharpe

Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

www.csdp.org

PO Box 59181

Washington, DC 20012

USA