Iowa drug czar accidentally makes case for regulating marijuana

While reciting a typical litany of anti-marijuana propaganda, Iowa Drug Czar Marvin Van Haaften inadvertently made the case for regulating marijuana similarly to alcohol.

As reported in a Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier story on Saturday, Van Haaften said: "Some of our students do not have access to cigarettes because of 'We Card.' They do not have access to alcohol because you have to show an ID. Some of the school counselors are saying it's easier for our students to get marijuana than it is to get cigarettes or alcohol."

MPP couldn't agree more. Indeed, we've been saying this all along. Clearly, drug dealers have no incentive to be choosy about who buys their products, while alcohol and tobacco merchants risk their jobs, their freedom, and their community standing by selling to underage consumers. Even the state drug czar recognizes that prohibition has failed to keep marijuana out of the hands of teens.

So please help spread the word by writing a letter-to-the-editor of your local newspaper pointing out that where prohibition has failed, regulation has succeeded; therefore, marijuana should be regulated similarly to alcohol and tobacco.

To do so, simply visit http://mpp.org/IA/action.html and type in your zip code, then compose a letter based on our talking points. With a click of the mouse your letter will be automatically sent to as many as five of the closest newspapers. The whole process takes less than five minutes, but it makes a world of difference.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this information on so that even more voices for reform can be heard.