MARIJUANA FAVORS LEGALIZATION

Jenny Rae Armstrong's op-ed "Think pot's harmless? Think again"
contained some serious logical flaws (Crossroads, Nov. 15). The writer
contended that violent drug cartels could be driven out of business by
"just saying no."

Indeed, if there were no demand, there would be no supply. But there
is no logical reason to assume that demand will not continue.

Alcohol prohibition provides a parallel. Organized crime is no longer
providing alcohol to Americans who drink. There are no Al Capones at
the end of the supply chain. The reason violent drug cartels exist is
the prohibition on illegal drugs. The blame should be put on the
politicians who make the revenue for the cartels possible. Legalize
marijuana, and all other illegal drugs, and the violence associated
with suppliers goes away.

Logic is rarely present in these dialogues. Emotion holds sway. We the
taxpayers are not winning the drug war; we are being bled dry. Too
many people are making a buck off of both sides of prohibition.
Violent criminals are too often let out of jail to make way for the
drug offenders. It is time to end the costly, liberty-eroding,
organized crime enriching madness of prohibition.

Bernard Dalsey

Whitewater