DRUG WAR COSTLY, INEFFECTIVE

Regarding George Will's Dec. 1 column: The drug war is largely a war
on marijuana smokers. In 2008, there were 847,863 marijuana arrests in
the U.S., almost 90 percent for simple possession. At a time when
state and local governments are laying off police, firefighters and
teachers, this country continues to spend enormous public resources
criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis. The end
result of this ongoing culture war is not necessarily lower rates of
use.

The U.S. has higher rates of marijuana use than the Netherlands, where
marijuana is legally available. Decriminalization is a long overdue
step in the right direction. Taxing and regulating marijuana would
render the $50 billion drug war obsolete. As long as organized crime
controls marijuana distribution, consumers will continue to come into
contact with sellers of hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. This
"gateway" is a direct result of marijuana prohibition.

Robert Sharpe / Arlington, Va.