LEGALIZING MARIJUANA IN FAVOR

I'm writing about Richard Bracken's thoughtful column: "Legalizing
Marijuana Just Makes Sense."

I'd like to add that it makes no sense, economic or moral, to jail
marijuana users or sellers. Our jails and prisons should be reserved
for those who harm others against their will. We don't jail or
imprison those who produce, sell or use tobacco products, even though
tobacco is a highly addictive and very deadly product.

We don't have criminals growing tobacco in clandestine locations. We
don't have tobacco producers or sellers attempting to settle their
disputes with each other with gun battles in the streets. If we were
to criminalize tobacco, the situation would change.

We learned our lesson about criminalizing alcohol in only 13 years.
Why can't we learn the same lesson about marijuana?

Kirk Muse, Mesa, Ariz., resident