MARIJUANA SEIZURES WON'T SOLVE PROBLEM

The story "Marijuana seizures soar in state, sour locally" (Nov. 20)
provides further documentation of the utter failure of California's
Campaign Against Marijuana Planting. Record plant seizures have not
diminished the marijuana supply, but continue to push growers into
more dangerous locations in order to stay one step ahead of police.

Moving operations indoors, often in residential homes, is one common
reaction to CAMP's activities. In a report issued Nov. 8, the U.S.

Department of Justice wrote, "Federal, state, and local law
enforcement reporting indicates that vigorous outdoor cannabis
eradication efforts have caused many marijuana producers...particularly
to relocate indoors, even in leading outdoor grow states such as
California and Tennessee." This enables year-round operation and what
DOJ predicts will be an "exponential" increase in profits for criminal
gangs.

So if you want criminals moving in next door to grow marijuana, and
want to guarantee that those criminals get unbelievably rich, current
policies are working just fine. But if that's not your idea of
progress, it's time to regulate marijuana production the same way we
regulate wine.

After all, when was the last time you heard of criminal gangs planting
vineyards in wilderness areas or suburban homes?

Bruce Mirken,

Communications director Marijuana Policy Project