Dear Editor,

In your "cannabis crisis" story of 3-19-97, a mistake is made in
concentrating on violence. Alcohol stands virtually alone as the premier
violence producing drug. Those interested in pursuing prohibition should
concentrate on the positive economic features of prohibition. As an
American who has lived under prohibition, for all of his 53 years, I speak
from first hand experience.

Prohibition can work wonders in reducing the unemployment rate in New
Zealand. The construction of the prisons necessary to enforce prohibition,
will do wonders for the construction industry. The personnel necessary to
staff and administer new prisons, adds a new dimension to any local
economy. The hundreds of extra police, necessary for proper prohibition
enforcement, can be used to augment military forces in time of war. The
jobs of those incarcerated can of course be filled by those currently
seeking employment, and the added social costs of broken families, and the
drain on welfare resources, can be handled nicely by the necessary,
periodic, tax increases that a dedicated prohibitionist would never object
to.

Emphasizing the positive is always the best policy. Trying to tie marijuana
to violence must fail. After all, when was the last time you heard about
someone smoking marijuana and then going home to slap their spouse and kids
around?

Sincerely,
Arthur R Sobey
Corpus Christi, Tx.