LEGALIZE POT

The war on drugs is clogging the courts and jails of southern border
states. Your July 1 article, ("Border prosecutors will keep drug cases, for
now") indicates that marijuana busts are the most common.

If we could build a great wall and stop all marijuana shipments from
entering the U.S., wouldn't it just lead to an increase in domestic
cultivation? Rather than continue to waste tax dollars on a futile effort,
I propose that we generate tax dollars by legalizing marijuana.

In doing so, we'd protect the children far more than the current drug war
does. The marijuana trade is now controlled by organized crime.

As the most popular illicit drug, marijuana provides the black-market
connections that introduce youth to drugs such as Ecstasy and heroin.

While there is nothing inherent in the marijuana plant that compels users
to try harder drugs, its black-market status puts users in contact with
criminals who push them. As long as marijuana remains illegal, the
established criminal distribution network will ensure that America's
children can sample every new poison concocted by drug-pushers. Current
drug policy is a gateway drug policy. Given that marijuana is arguably
safer than alcohol, why not end marijuana prohibition? We could be paying
off the national debt instead of increasing it with expensive border war games.

One thing is for sure, Americans will continue to smoke pot regardless.