LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

EDITOR: I read with dismay an article in Sunday's Press Democrat ("Pot
growth hurting wilderness") that described the environmental
devastation and financial burden caused by large-scale pot farming on
public lands by "mostly Mexican . . . drug cartels."

We've all heard the warnings about hiking or mushroom hunting on
federal and state lands, and, as a taxpayer, I find this completely
unacceptable.

Folks, it's time to legalize marijuana. Control it as we do alcohol
and tobacco, tax it, and let's quit pretending that legalization is
going to lead to a nation of potheads. Legalizing alcohol didn't
result in a nation of drunkards.

For how many decades have we been waging a "war on drugs"? We're not
winning. "Systematic occupation of armed foreign nationals . . . " Are
you kidding? In California? On our public lands? Completely
unacceptable.

Dennis Hogan

Laytonville