IT ISN'T MICHAEL PHELPS WE OUGHT TO REPUDIATE

If anyone should be embarrassed about the recent photo that surfaced in
a British tabloid showing Michael Phelps apparently smoking marijuana,
it should be each American citizen ("Phelps: 'I am sorry,'" Feb. 2). And
it is not Mr. Phelps we should be embarrassed by. Rather, we should be
ashamed of our lawmakers who continue to support marijuana prohibition.

There are no more absurd laws on the books than those that criminalize
the use of marijuana by responsible adults.

Billions of dollars are wasted annually in the United States as we
wage a war on drugs, and they accomplish little - with the notable
exception of creating a black market that makes some violent criminals
very wealthy.

Ending prohibition would allow legitimate companies rather than
gun-toting criminals to produce marijuana. This would create a safer
product and a safer marketplace for consumers and allow the profits of
those companies to be taxed like those of any other corporate entity.

I have never been a user of illegal drugs. But I am not self-righteous
enough to use the force of law to tell other informed adults about
what substances they can put into their bodies.

We all know how poorly the prohibition of alcohol worked decades ago,
yet our lawmakers continue to prohibit marijuana today and expect a
different result.

That's insane.

Steve Harbin

Woodbine