Al Sharpton on Drugs Reverend; Civil Rights Activist; Democratic Candidate for President

Never smoked marijuana, because he grew up in the church

"Yes," said John Kerry, leading off. "Yes," said John Edwards . "Yes," said Howard Dean. None of these three baby-boomer candidates said anything beyond their short, declarative affirmations. None followed with a hurried explanation that it was just a few times, that it was some kind of "youthful indiscretion," or that he didn't inhale. The implication of their answers seemed to be, "Yeah, so what?"

In fact, the defensive answers tended to come from those replying in the negative. "No," said Dennis Kucinich. "But I think it ought to be decriminalized."

"I grew up in the church," said Al Sharpton. "We didn't believe in that."

"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers," said Joe Lieberman. "I never used marijuana. Sorry!"

In the next day's news coverage, the admissions of marijuana smoking were largely ignored.

Something wrong with mandatory time for drug users

The war on drugs must be fought at a higher level. We have to use trade leverage to go after the countries that produce the drugs-who openly allow drugs to be in their economy-and put them out of business.

Perhaps the reason why the US doesn't go after the real drug lords and the real drug producers and sellers is because it would be bad business on both ends. We make money with the countries that produce the drugs, and we make money by sending the low-level drug criminal to jail for a long time.