SUPPLY AND DEMAND DRIVES DRUG WARS

Re: "Legalization won't stop Mexico's drug wars" (March 11):,

Jay Ambrose needs to study some economics. The law of supply and
demand in particular. The only reason marijuana sells for more than
its weight in gold is that it is illegal. In a legal market,
marijuana would sell for the same price as corn flakes or tofu.
Likewise for heroin and cocaine.

Plant-based drugs are easy and cheap to produce and without
prohibition it would be impossible to make billions trafficking them.
The mark up on heroin is thousands to one. For a few pennies outlaws
can reap many dollars. In a legal market those huge profits will vanish.

Marijuana may be all but legal in a dozen states, but the
restrictions on growing and selling cannabis keep the drug cartels
humming along. Decriminalization preserves the bootleg drug market
for criminals.

In a legal market the outlaws will vanish because they cannot support
a huge gang structure selling cheap agricultural products.

If we legalize drugs the cartels will be out of business in a few
days. How do I know? Well that's what happened when Alcohol
Prohibition was repealed and we haven't had a shoot out or a bombing
over a beer route since 1933.

Mexico will not object to ending the drug war because on April 28,
2006, Mexico's Congress approved a bill decriminalizing possession of
marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine and heroin for personal use. The Bush
administration used intense diplomatic pressure to stop Mexico from
relaxing their drug laws.

RALPH GIVENS, Daly City, Calif.