MARIJUANA BUST BOOSTS WAR ON CRIME

The St. Clair County Drug Task Force reminded us this week that the
war against illegal drugs continues -- and it punctuated that
reminder with a significant victory.

Two men, one from Kimball Township and the other from Port Huron,
were arrested Wednesday in Clyde Township. Police seized 409 pounds
of marijuana from the trailer they were hauling, the largest amount
in the Drug Task Force's history.

Some county residents and others in this state and nation insist
marijuana is not a dangerous drug and should be decriminalized if not
legalized. Last year, Michigan voters approved a new state law that
permits patients suffering from a variety of chronic illnesses to
use marijuana.

Wednesday's drug bust reminds us marijuana still is illegal other
than for specified medical purposes. Those who traffic and peddle the
drug pose a clear threat to public safety.

In a subsequent and related search, police arrested the owner of a
home in the 5000 block of Walker Road in Clyde Township. Another
search found 16 long guns and four handguns at a home in the 700
block of Scott Road in Kimball Township. No matter how harmless
marijuana might be, its status as an illegal drug confirms the
people who count on its proceeds can be dangerous.

Like most communities throughout America, St. Clair County is
struggling to overcome a worsening economy. The drug bust shows crime
still is a priority.

The task force struck an important blow against drug traffickers.
Given the economic problems this county faces, the drug bust is welcome.

Illegal drugs breed crime. Thanks to the vigilance of the sheriff's
drug task force, one operation appears to have suffered a crippling
defeat.