LETTER OF THE WEEK

Pubdate: Sun, 25 Jan 2009

Source: Times, The (Trenton, NJ)

Author: Richard T. Kuncewitch

Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n071/a02.html

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA, DE-FANG THE DRUG GANGS

The recent guest opinion article "Medical Marijuana: Opening
Pandora's box?" ( Jan. 20) by Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini stated
that if we were to allow the compassionate use of medicinal
marijuana, we would be opening a Pandora's box and set forth its
monsters upon society. What about the monsters that are already
amongst us: the drug gangs that already make many of our urban streets unsafe?

Worldwide, we have narco-terrorist gangs rampaging out of control. We
need look no further than at the atrocities committed daily in Mexico
to see the measure of misery caused by failed law-enforcement
efforts. Admittedly the U.S. DEA ( Drug Enforcement Agency ) can
interdict a fraction of the drugs smuggled into the U.S. This kind of
failure rate would not be tolerated anywhere else but in the
government community. Obviously, law enforcement and the risk of
incarceration are no deterrent at all. Even the risk of death or
maiming does not seem to stem the flow of young men and women willing
to risk all for the billions to be made in the illicit drug industry.

The only solution would be to take the tools that empower the gangs
out of their hands. No money, and they will not be able to finance
their terror armies. Put ting aside the moral argument about drugs,
this is the only sensible solution. After all, alcohol and tobacco
are drugs, too, and they are cash cows for our government.

The politicians who profit mightily and the law-enforcement
communities would howl at the loss. After all, corrections and its
related periphery are big business for those holding the strings of
control. The world community as a whole would prefer to see
vanquished the monsters already amongst. So, why worry about a
potential Pandora's box if we allow those who are suffering to smoke
pot when the beasts are not contained within the box but already set
free and feeding on us?

Legalize marijuana. Control it and regulate it. Reap the profits
both financially and socially worldwide.

Richard T. Kuncewitch, Trenton