WAR ON DRUGS IS A LOSING BATTLE

Lots of speculation in the papers on the value of California's
marijuana crop and the amount of taxes that will be collected if
Proposition 19 passes. Nobody knows that answer and you can't even
make an "educated" guess.

As of today, the illegally grown or imported marijuana goes for $300
an ounce. The legal medicinal marijuana has a known price too. The
illegal homegrown is as free as growing flowers or tomatoes.

Will the illegal growers/importers even stay in the business if the
price drops to $30 an ounce, or whatever the legal medicinal price is?
I seriously doubt it.

Will the illegal homegrown producers, even if for only their own use,
pay the tax on their crop?

Remember two things:

1) We have not been able to make a dent in the amount of illegal
marijuana available with our war on drugs.

2) Al Capone did not go to prison for murder or violation of the
Volstead Act. He went to prison for tax evasion.

Face it, folks, if you want to control marijuana, you will only do so
through the tax

code. Crime pays.

Fred Boest, Red Bluff