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- I process its marijuana arrests would be available to fund more- ductive and immune systems, young people could be at great- useful endeavors, such as treatment for drug education and est risk. Lying to teenagers about marijuana's effects, howev- substance abuse. Thousands of prison cells would become er. only encourages them to doubt official warnings about available to house violent criminals. The profits from growing much more dangerous drugs, such as heroin, cocaine. and and selling marijuana commercially would fall as would the amphetamines. The drug culture of the 1960s arose in the incentive to bribe public officials. But the decriminalization of midst of tough anti-drug laws and simplistic anti-drug propa- marijuana is only a partial solution to the havoc caused by the Banda. In a nation where both major political parties accept war on drugs. Mandatory-minimum sentences for drug of- millions of dollars from alcohol and tobacco lobbyists. de- fenders should be repealed, allowing judges to regain their moods for "zero tolerance" and moral condemnations of maz- ~ time-honored powers and ensuring that an individual's pun- ijuana have a hollow ring. According to Michael D. New- ishment fits the crime. The asset-forfeiture laws should be comb, asubstance-abuse expert at the University of Southern amended so that criminal investigations are not motivated by California, "Tobacco and alcohol aze the most widely used. greed-so that assets can be forfeited only after a conviction, abused, and deadly drugs ingested by teenagers." Eighth- ' in amounts proportionate to the illegal activity. The use of pro- graders in America today drink alcohol three times as often m fessional informers should be limited and carefully monitored. they use marijuana. Drug-education programs should respect The message sent to the nation's teenagers by these steps the intelligence of young people by promoting drug-free lives would be that our society will no longer pursue a failed policy without scare tactics, lies, and hypocrisy. And drug abuse and needlessly ruin lives in order to appear tough. should be treated like alcoholism or nicotine addiction. These Decriminalizing marijuana would also help to resolve the are health problems suffered by Americans of every race, current dispute over its medicinal use. Seriously ill patients creed, and political affiliation, not grounds for imprisonment would no longer risk criminal prosecution while trying to ob- or the denial of property rights. rain their medicine. Although heavy marijuana use may exac- At the Alabama penitentiary where Douglas Lamar Gray erbxte underlying psychological problems and may harm the is imprisoned, perhaps half a dozen inmates are serving life I respiratory system through the inhalation of smoke, marijua- without parole for marijuana offenses. One was given a life t na is one of [he least toxic therapeatieallya"`ves°b- THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE NATIONAL stances known No fatal dose of the drug has been estab- lished, despite more than COMMISSION ON MARUUANA AND DRUG ABUSE ARE AS VALID TODAY s.txlo year' of recorded nse. AS TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO: THE UNITED STATES SHOULD DECRIMI- Marijuana is less toxic than many c°mm°° foods. Deny- NALIZE MARIJUANA FOR PERSONAL USE AND THE POSSESSION OF ing cancer patients, AIDS pa- tients, and paraplegics access SMALL AMOUNTS OF IT; GROWING OR SELLING IT COMMERCIALLY. to x potentially useful medi- cinethatissafertnanmostle_ USING IT IN PUBLIC, DISTRIBUTING IT TO YOUNG PEOPLE, AND DRIV~ golly prescribed drugs is in- ING UNDER ITS INFLUENCE SHOULD REMAIN STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. I humane. Some of the claims made in the I970s and 1980s about the effects of marijuana-that it causes brain damage, sentence for loading his pickup truck with ditchweed, a form chromosome damage, sterility, infertility, and even homosex- of wild marijuana that is not psychoactive. Another was giv- uality-have never been proved. Marijuana use may pose don- en a life sentence for possessing a single joint. Hundreds of gers that are still unknown. And yet the British medicaljoumal inmates may be serving life sentences for marijuana-relateu The Lancet, in a recent editorial calling for the decriminaliza- offenses in prisons across the United States. The pointless tion of marijuana, felt confident enough to declare, `"phe smok- misery extends from these inmates to their families and to ing of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful to health." the victims of every crime committed by violent offenders Although marijuana does not turn teenagers into serial who might otherwise occupy those prison cells. A soviet} killers or irreversibly destroy their brains, i[ should not be that punishes marijuana crimes more severely than violem smoked by young people. Marijuana is a powerful intoxicant, crimes is caught in the grip of a deep psychosis. For too Ion, and its use can diminish academic and athletic performance. the laws regarding marijuana have been based on raci:r. Adolescents experience enough social and emotional confu- prejudice, irrational fears, metaphors, symbolism. and pour lion without the added handicap of being stoned. If marijua- ical expediency. The time has come for a marijuana polio na use does indeed exert subtly harmful effects on the repro- calmly based on the facts. ~ IIIY