GROUP SUPPORTS MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

As the executive director of the world's largest organization of
police, judges and other criminal justice professionals who oppose the
policy of drug prohibition, I want to disagree with letter writer
Phillip Beebe (Passing marijuana initiative would be a mistake - Aug.
6). The campaign to legalize marijuana in Nevada is smart business.
Based on the combined experience of the cops and judges who make up
our organization, there are few public policies more useless than
using the criminal justice system as a hammer against people who elect
to use marijuana.

One can be diligent with concerns about possible marijuana abuse
without endorsing the most absurd waste of police resources imaginable
- - that of arresting, processing and jailing adults who use marijuana.
Our membership of over 5,000 believes it's time to end criminal
prohibitions against adult consensual use of any drug, but especially
marijuana.

This need is even more urgent if one views pot as a dangerous drug. It
is our opinion that risky and dangerous substances are best
distributed in controlled and regulated settings. Such regulation is
impossible under a system of criminal prohibition. Only
prohibitionists endorse a drug distribution system that is controlled
by street dealers. The cops and judges who make up our membership
believe that regulation is preferable to Prohibition.

JACK A. COLE

Executive director

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition