THE IRRATIONAL PROHIBITION OF POT

Re "Arrest made in shooting of teen / Slaying of a corrections
official's son likely is linked to a marijuana deal, police say,"
Feb. 18: Of course, there is going to be violence when a commodity,
in this case marijuana, is delegitimized by criminalizing its
possession and easy money can be made. And this brings to mind the
age-old question of what right does government have to prohibit
possession of a native plant?

Today, I blame the alcohol industry for the continued irrational
prohibition of marijuana. There is no question that the legalization
of marijuana would provide the American consumer a ready alternative
for getting high and adversely impact alcohol sales.

But what bothers me most about today's continued marijuana
prohibition is its unfortunate historical origins. In the early
1900s, marijuana was the domain of African American and Latino
culture and was criminalized in the 1930s. Its continued prohibition
is an enduring tribute to the nostalgic memory of Jim Crow days.

Don Knutson

Sacramento