Pot times

THERE'S NO EASY SOLUTION TO THE CURRENT DRUG WAR IN THIS COUNTRY

George Will's attacks on marijuana ( "Fighting illicit drugs," June 16 ) and brain function are nonsense.  Carl Sagan was a lifelong user.  While I do not recommend marijuana use, it is less harmful than tobacco or alcohol.

Will's comparison to prohibition was more interesting.  "[F]or all its bad effects," Will says it lowered alcohol consumption.  Prohibition's effect on consumption is questionable.  For starters, it's unclear how alcohol consumption could have been measured when it was illegal.  But other effects have been asserted: ( 1 ) Measured consumption of alcohol did initially fall, but then rose steadily until repeal; ( 2 ) alcohol became more dangerous to consume; ( 3 ) crime increased, especially organized crime; ( 4 ) Corruption became a much more serious problem; ( 5 ) many drinkers switched to opium, cocaine, and other drugs; ( 6 ) alcohol consumption shifted from beer and wine to harder liquors.  ( See http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-157.html .  )

It has been 90 years since heroin and cocaine were first prohibited, 67 years for marijuana, and a bit more than 30 years since the so-called War on Drugs was declared.  Drugs have indeed become more potent -- just as prohibition led to stronger liquor.  A smuggler wants to carry the most potent product in the smallest package.

Illicit drugs are more dangerous to consume because they are unregulated.  The illegal drug trade causes gang and crime problems, while the modern legal markets for alcohol and tobacco do not.  The parallels are numerous because our drug policy is the same failed policy that was tried with alcohol.

Most of us agree that drugs are bad.  There is no easy solution.  Our current approach -- the drug war -- is prohibition by another name.  Whatever happened to learning from history?

WARREN REDLICH

Albany