WHAT WOULD THE LEGALIZATION OF DRUGS ENTAIL?

I read John Lankford's recent column, "A light at end of the tunnel?" that
speaks to the idea of legalizing drugs to help reduce prison populations
and lower society's costs of maintaining these institutions and their
inmates. You seem to look favorably upon the ideas of those who favor
legalizing drugs. What does legalizing drugs mean?

1. Does this mean that selling drugs that currently are produced illegally
in garages, basements and back-alley drug labs would now be legal? Could
anyone whip up a batch of dope at home and peddle it without restrictions
on the street?

2. Would there be no federal, state, local laws to regulate the production
methods, ingredients, impurities, health risks, etc., of these drugs?

3. We wouldn't expect the legitimate drug companies to embrace producing
crack, PCP, heroin, methamphetamine and other street drugs, would we? (They
wouldn't be interested, potential lawsuits alone would keep them from doing
so.)

4. If anyone who wants to "set up shop" can produce and sell street drugs
without any controls, would those who support legalizing drugs also extend
this concept to those who might want to cook up a batch of aspirin,
morphine or other legal drugs in the family room or tool shed?

You talked about the 1.7 million prison inmates who are substance abusers
and how much money we could save if we didn't have to support them at
$25,000 a year. Most of these people are also guilty of other crimes such
as murder, rape, robbery, embezzlement, etc. Surely, we wouldn't be
expected to absolve them for these crimes just because they are also
substance abusers. Right?

I don't have the answer to the drug problem. I truly wish I did, but making
street drugs legal and turning prisoners loose in society doesn't seem to
me to be the answer.

In closing, I'd like to ask you to visualize this possible future scenario:

Drugs are now legalized and available at competitive prices (prices would
come down if the criminal element was removed from drug production and
distribution according to legalize-drugs advocates). They'll still cost
money to buy though, and drug addicts will still be committing crimes to
get the money to buy them and lower prices would hardly tend to lower the
number of addicts would it? I suggest that it would increase the numbers.

I agree that our so-called war on drugs has been a failure, and it's very
tempting for some to try and simplify such a serious and complex problem by
saying that legalizing drugs would solve this problem - but, it just
"ain't" that easy folks.

Pat C. Cody, Santa Ynez