c-ray
05-10-2006, 06:24 PM
Date published: 5/8/2006
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2006/052006/05082006/184921
I'm writing about Robert Sharpe's outstanding letter ["Legalize marijuana and decriminalize good people," April 10].
I'd like to add that while the majority of European Union countries have decriminalized marijuana, only one country has actually legalized marijuana: the Czech Republic.
The Czech Republic is the only country in the world where adults can legally use, possess, and grow small quantities of marijuana. (In the Netherlands, marijuana is not officially legal.)
The Czech overall drug arrest rate is one per 100,000 population. The overall drug arrest rate in the U.S. is 585 per 100,000 population.
The Czech robbery rate is 2 per 100,000 population. The robbery rate in the U.S. is 145.9 per 100,000 population, according to the FBI.
According to our drug-war cheerleaders, tolerant marijuana laws cause people to use other, much more dangerous, drugs such as meth and heroin.
Obviously, this doesn't happen in the Czech Republic. Why not?
Could it be that when people can legally obtain marijuana at an affordable price, they tend not to use or desire any other recreational drugs?
Could it be that marijuana legalization actually creates a roadblock to hard-drug use, rather than a gateway?
Could it be that the vast majority of our so-called "drug-related crime" is caused by our marijuana prohibition policies?
Kirk Muse
Mesa, Ariz.
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2006/052006/05082006/184921
I'm writing about Robert Sharpe's outstanding letter ["Legalize marijuana and decriminalize good people," April 10].
I'd like to add that while the majority of European Union countries have decriminalized marijuana, only one country has actually legalized marijuana: the Czech Republic.
The Czech Republic is the only country in the world where adults can legally use, possess, and grow small quantities of marijuana. (In the Netherlands, marijuana is not officially legal.)
The Czech overall drug arrest rate is one per 100,000 population. The overall drug arrest rate in the U.S. is 585 per 100,000 population.
The Czech robbery rate is 2 per 100,000 population. The robbery rate in the U.S. is 145.9 per 100,000 population, according to the FBI.
According to our drug-war cheerleaders, tolerant marijuana laws cause people to use other, much more dangerous, drugs such as meth and heroin.
Obviously, this doesn't happen in the Czech Republic. Why not?
Could it be that when people can legally obtain marijuana at an affordable price, they tend not to use or desire any other recreational drugs?
Could it be that marijuana legalization actually creates a roadblock to hard-drug use, rather than a gateway?
Could it be that the vast majority of our so-called "drug-related crime" is caused by our marijuana prohibition policies?
Kirk Muse
Mesa, Ariz.