[420 Girl]

D.C. Assistant Police Chief Peter Newsham might be an unlikely advocate for overhauling our nation's broken marijuana laws, but he articulated a central truth about the harms associated with marijuana and marijuana prohibition ["As D.C. votes on marijuana, seeds already firmly planted," front page. May 4]. "People don't feel marijuana is dangerous," Newsham said, "but it is, because of the way it is sold."

Exactly. Marijuana is virtually nontoxic, incapable of producing a fatal overdose and much less dangerous than both alcohol and tobacco. But by keeping marijuana illegal, our policies have created an underground, unregulated market that is controlled by criminals and violent gangs.

More than 15 million Americans use marijuana every month, and many of them will risk their safety when trying to buy it from drug dealers who are not required to follow any of the responsible controls, regulations and laws that we have successfully applied to the sale of alcohol.

It's time for officials to acknowledge reality: Marijuana doesn't kill people. Prohibition does.


NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Washington Post
Author: Mike Meno
Contact: The Washington Post
Copyright: 2010 The Washington Post Company
Website: The prohibition of marijuana: That's the problem


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