WAR ON DRUGS IS NONSENSICAL

A March 13 Banner-Herald story, "Drug cartel linked to
warehouse/Hefty load of marijuana stashed in Athens," is a prime
example of our tax dollars being wasted on this nation's expensive
and ineffective war on drugs. According to the story, more than 1,200
pounds of marijuana were transferred from a tractor-trailer truck
from McAllen, Texas, into a cargo van in Athens on Feb. 20.

On that same day, I witnessed at least four trucks transferring an
equally intoxicating substance into legal establishments in downtown
Athens in broad daylight. The trucks unloading in downtown were not
even unmarked. They carried the logos of any number of beer companies.

The average cost to prosecute a nonviolent drug offense is $15,000.
The average annual cost to incarcerate an adult offender is about
$22,000. Why not use that money to fund the rehabilitation and
prevention that have been proven to be more effective than
incarceration for drug offenders?

On what level does it make sense to ban the manufacture and sale of
marijuana while at the same time allowing the manufacture and sale of
alcohol and cigarettes?

The 18th Amendment to the Constitution, prohibiting the manufacture
and consumption of alcohol, spawned one of the deadliest periods of
organized crime in our nation's history. I believe the war on drugs
is equally egregious.

Jeffrey E. Moss

Winder