MOST MAJOR CRIMES LINKED TO POT

Re "Weed goes mainstream" (Page A1, Aug. 8): The reporter did not
complete his research on the topic. I am a retired peace officer who
has seen many things while working nearly 30 years in Sacramento
County. The majority of card-holding medicinal marijuana users I came
into contact with were not in medical need. The majority of major
crimes homicides, home invasions, assault with a deadly weapon
causing major injuries, etc. that were drug-related were over marijuana.

Throughout my career, you could add up all the above crimes that were
over cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin and they would not come close
to those that involved marijuana. Two are still fresh in my mind: a
homicide behind a middle school in which we followed the trail of
marijuana to the suspect's house; and a gangster who was shot in the
face and scooped up all his stash prior to going to the hospital, and
a rival gangster from Oakland who was found dead days later on one of
our freeway offramps.

Unfortunately, until marijuana (maybe even other drugs) is legalized
on a federal level, as Prohibition was ended in the 1930s, the only
people who profit are the bad guys, attorneys and law
enforcement.

Robert Hasapis, Sacramento