POT PROHIBITION RIPE FOR REPEAL

It's not just some naive twenty-somethings in favor of the
decriminalization of marijuana, as a recent letter to the editor
asserts; many states already have.

The so-called "War on Drugs" has been a great success, hasn't it?
Sure has kept illegal drugs off the streets, hasn't it?
Criminalization sure has kept drug dealers from selling drugs and
killing each other over the great profits to be made on the black
market, hasn't it? The drug laws have sure been effective in keeping
big suppliers from becoming multi-millionairs. Drug laws sure have
dried up the demand for marijuana, haven't they? What? No? How could this be?

They've been every bit as effective as thousands of other laws, i.e.
those designed to keep criminal possession and use of firearms at
bay. Haven't they? No gun crime exists, huh?

Bottom line - you cannot and will never be able to legislate morality.

Marijuana became illegal to possess/grow/use in the last century due
to the wishes and influence of one Randolph Hearst, who feared hemp,
a very tough and useful product, would seriously cut into his timber
and paper monopolies. After underwriting the ridiculous propaganda
film, "Reefer Madness," and greasing the palms of our legislators, he
could go on reaping huge profits without fear of competition from the
devil hemp.

Alcohol abuse has caused more damage to our society than marijuana
use ever could. But alcohol and tobacco, admit it, are drugs and are
used and accepted by society as mood-altering substances. Being for
sale only to adults has certainly stemmed or eliminated their
use/abuse by minors, hasn't it? No? why not? If America wants to get
serious about our drug problem, we should wake up and realize drug
laws do not stop illegal drug use, or make the demand vanish, they
just fill the coffers of the black market dealers.

Remember Prohibition? Wasn't that a great success, stopping the
manufacture/transport/sale and use of demon alcohol across the U.S.?
Once the government realized Prohibition didn't work as planned,
Prohibition was repealed, and the government made billions in tax
revenues putting the black market out of business. Why let drug
dealers continue to reap millions off black market sales of
marijuana? Let the government control the cultivation and sale to
adults only. Tax the hell out of it and what would happen? The
government would realize billions in revenue, the dealers would be
out of business and law enforcement could concentrate on dealing with
real criminals, i.e. murderers, rapists, etc.

I'm well aware that marijuana is not benign, and may have negative
health effects after long-term use, as cigarettes do. No one having
smoked pot would exhibit the stupidity or perhaps violent behavior of
a drunk. "I can drive after a few drinks." (Yeah, right).

Lawmakers in at least 14 states have seen fit to
decriminalize/legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use.
Obviously, enough of them have seen beyond the fear and propaganda to
have passed legislation that ultimately has generated needed tax
revenue for many worthy programs, and at the same time kept the
innocuous, recreational pot smoker from being subjected to penalties
as serious hard drug users, and more importantly, have freed law
enforcement resources to pursue more serious issues. Would any sane
person favor early release of a murderer or rapist so the cell could
be put to use holding someone who has harmed no one?

Ire against a possible repeal of the marijuana prohibition should be
directed toward something which needs more urgent attention:
government corruption, underage drinking or perhaps my favorite,
dangerous idiots who need to text and drive at the same time.