POLICE BENEFIT FROM PROHIBITION

Sir-

In an otherwise excellent article (March 4), David Round seems to have
ignored several other significant groups of beneficiaries of the illegality
of cannabis.

In his second-to-last paragraph he claims: "The only people who benefit
from cannabis prohibition ... are growers and gangs who deal in it".

I would expand on "gangs" to include: hundreds of unnecessary police
officers; thousands of unnecessary so-called Justice Department judiciary,
clerical, and prison staff; and hundreds of lawyers and associated staff.

Ed Donnelly March 5, 2000