PROHIBITION DOESN'T WORK

In 1968 I became, I suspect, the first person in Cowlitz County to
publicly say we should legalize marijuana; 150 locals said via
petition that I should be fired as a teacher.

No merchant wants to sell kids beer or cigarettes because it is not
worth the hassle; he can make more money legally. If we totally ban
booze and cigarettes, a new Al Capone will come along to bribe, kill
and terrorize; total sin sales will fall very little.

PUD rate payers now learn that they financed two major marijuana
operations, metal is being stolen, Mexican cops are being murdered,
neighborhoods are being shot up, politicians, judges and cops are
being bribed - all because America still thinks it can violate the
law of supply and demand.

Worse than meth and even cigarettes, the most dangerous drug is the
vast, illegal, underground economy which encourages still more drug
use. A government-owned or regulated monopoly should first set
prices so low as to drive crooks out of business and then enforce
intelligent, flexible regulations to mitigate the problem.

With 300 million fools in this country, expect no perfection.
Mitigation is the best we can hope for.

L. S. Wagle

Longview