HERE'S HOW TO CHANGE DRUG LAWS

The death of a young Tallahassee resident in a botched drug sting in
Tallahassee has brought into stark relief the hypocrisy and dangers in
this country's current marijuana laws. Please consider these changes
to the rules regarding this substance, which every year comes in far
behind alcohol and tobacco (both legal) in killing people and
destroying lives and families.

* Federal law would still prohibit the importation of cannabis (that's
right, NAFTA doesn't cover it.) This gives the overacheivers at the
Drug Enforcement Administration something to do.

* Domestic production would be legal; this turns the people who raise
it into business people instead of criminals. It also reduces the
price drastically, as the only difficult part of raising marijuana is
the fact that it is illegal. Also, free-market competition will keep
the price reasonable.

* Possession of cannabis by minors would be illegal (just like alcohol
or tobacco); driving under the influence also would be illegal (just
like alcohol.)

* A state and/or federal license would be required to grow and sell
cannabis. This helps fund efforts by the Departments of Agriculture
and Commerce to assure product quality and fair trade practices (just
like, well, apples, broccoli, carrots, corn, etc. (and, theoretically,
gasoline.)

And here's the best part: because marijuana has (if overemphasized)
the potential for dependency and abuse (just like tobacco and
alcohol), the government could place a modest excise tax on the
purchase of cannabis. These funds would be earmarked for education
("Don't do dope, kids!") as well as to aid in the treatment of those
who have a dependency problem and want help.

The net effect of this:

* The price would be reasonable because those who sell or possess
cannabis no longer would be considered criminals.

* More money for education (can there ever be too much education?)
would help our young people make more informed choices regarding cannabis.

* Those people who (yes, it does happen) develop a substance-abuse
problem would be more willing to seek help if they are not immediately
labeled as criminals.

* The government would be able to free up funds previously used for
the control of "devil weed" to help control cocaine, heroin, meth a=80"
dangerous drugs .

* Our over-taxed prison system would be able to free up valuable jail
space by releasing the tens of thousands of people languishing behind
bars for victimless violations of archaic and draconian cannabis laws.

The use by the Tallahassee Police Department of the laws surrounding a
victimless crime to force Rachel Hoffman into a dangerous undercover
operation that ultimately proved fatal is inexcusable and highlights
the need to immediately overhaul these laws to free up our government
to protect us from things that we need protection from.

Maybe this initiative could start here on the state level; we could
call it "Rachel's law." There should, after all, be something good
come out of this senseless tragedy.

Andrew Collard lives in Woodville.