IT'S TIME TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

The state of Washington spends millions, maybe even billions, a year
on regulating the use of marijuana through police tactics and jail
housing and feeding. The drug should be legalized but controlled,
just like alcohol, which is another drug itself.

If marijuana was legalized, we could take the money spent on our
court system and use it for the people who have chosen to use the
drug who want to enter into a rehabilitation clinic. This way, the
state could tax the crop and balance the budget.

The Legislature needs to realize that what it all comes down to right
now, and always, is money.

Money is what we need most and if the people of the state of
Washington are willing to give it up for a product that could better
our state, then the bill needs to be passed to legalize the drug.

We could save money instead of prosecuting criminals for the
possession of it and we could put the money toward improving aspects
of our state and funding the drug users that have asked for help
recovering from the use of it.

The Legislature and lawmakers need to listen up and prioritize to
realize what is most important with this bad economy is bringing in
money, and taxing marijuana, just like alcohol, is the most logical
way to do it.

ALLISON SAVIN, Olympia