PROHIBITION INEFFECTIVE

Kirk Muse, in his Jan. 2 letter, "Legal pot builds roadblock,"
effectively counters the letter from professional anti-drug advocate
Sandra S. Bennett. One positive point in Bennett's Dec. 19 letter,
"Urge prevention education," was in focusing on the need for
education. But it should be education, not incarceration, that drives
our efforts against the abuse (as opposed to the use) of cannabis
(marijuana) and all substances.

Muse points to another nation (the Czech Republic) that does not have
anywhere near the problems with drugs and drug-related crime as we
do, and they accomplish it without relying on punitive,
prohibitionist policies.

Here in the U.S. the primary question to ask is "How effective has
our prohibition of cannabis been?" Well, in Washington state, the
value of just the pot seized by law enforcement made cannabis the
state's No. 8 agricultural crop in 2005.

Prohibition has failed. Unless you are a black market drug dealer, or
a professional drug war bureaucrat.

Allan Erickson

Eugene, Ore.