STUCK WITH OUR DRUG LAWS

In regards to your July 13 letter to the editor, "It's time to
legalize pot": While I do agree with Mr. Hoyt, that it is time to
stop creating criminals out of hard-working and in many cases,
professional men and women, with the Feds war on drugs, i.e. "pot,"
boy, this government seems to always have to have a war with someone, any way.

The fact of the matter is, they are making far more money with their
confiscations and forfeitures, than they ever could by legalizing
pot. Yes, capitalism rears its ugly head once again.

It was about 10 years ago the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in essence
that while these confiscations and forfeitures may be illegal under
the excessive fines clause of the U.S. Constitution, it would cost
the federal corporation (did I say that?) untold millions to pay back
the cash and property they gleaned by this nefarious activity.

So, here we have on one hand the Feds don't have to pay back
ill-gotten gains, but John Q Public must pay back to the federal
government any illegally gotten cash (strange).

Then, we have many attorneys who would have to spearhead such a
fight, who have political aspirations, and such a political hot
potato as the legalization of pot could be aspiration smashing, even
though, some of these legal eagles are puffing away in back rooms,
and the ones doing the smashing are lighting their pipes.

No, I'm afraid for the time being, society will have to endure the
time-honored speakeasy method of acquiring this natural occurring substance.

Don E. Paydon

Waterbury Center