POT DECRIMINALIZATION ATTRACTS DRUG CARTELS

Re: “Vote yes to decriminalize marijuana in Breckenridge,” SDN editorial Oct. 21

The timing of your editorial was exquisitely bad. It came on the same
day as the announcement of the big Mexican drug cartel bust. One of
the federal agents working in Colorado, who was involved in the bust,
was quoted in the media as saying the states, including Colorado,
which have decriminalized marijuana, have become magnets for the
Mexican cartels.

For the benefit of your younger readers, there was a renowned bank
robber in the 1920s through 1950s, named Willie Sutton, who when
asked, why he robbed banks, famously responded, " because that's where
the money is." Analogously, if someone were to ask the Mexican drug
cartels why they're honing in on Colorado and the other states which
have decriminalized marijuana, their answer most certainly would be,
"because that's where the drugs and the drug-users are!"

I'm afraid I'm one of those cranky, old-school types, who believes
decriminalizing marijuana will have very deleterious consequences for
Summit County, and indeed the United States. Certainly, it's a sad
reflection of the current state of the country when probably its
fastest-growing business is "medical" marijuana.

Kevin Rodden

Frisco