Using Technology to Deepen Democracy, Using Democracy to Ensure Technology Benefits Us All

Monday, November 17, 2008

Compare and Contrast

Paul Armentano, senior policy analyst for the NORML Foundation writes:
In the past 40 years, tens of millions of Americans have voluntarily quit smoking a legal, yet highly addictive intoxicant [nicotine]. Many others have refused to initiate the habit. And they've all made this decision without ever once being threatened with criminal prosecution and arrest, imprisonment, probation, and drug testing.

By contrast, during this same period of time, state and local police have arrested some 20 million Americans for pot law violations -- primarily for violations no greater than simple possession. And yet marijuana use among the public has skyrocketed.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

As they say, the greatest harm caused by smoking marijuana is jail.