IT'S TIME TO LEGALIZE IT

Jeff Ackerman's editorial in support of regulated legalization of
marijuana was right on target.

Prohibition proved that there are some substances that are just too
easily produced and in demand to effectively eradicate, and so,
despite the horrible costs to society that alcohol causes, we had no
choice but to repeal prohibition in order to undercut the mafia.

How many more decades and billions of dollars have to be spent before
people will realize that, just like Prohibition, the war against
marijuana is not working, and is only pumping massive amounts of money
into Mexican drug cartels, who, just like the mafia, are using that
money to fund their other much-worse illegal activities?

It is true that until the rest of the U.S. legalizes marijuana, there
will still be an illegal market, but if the same companies that
currently produce beer were also in the legal marijuana business,
increased supply would reduce prices, undercutting the cartels. Theft
would not be a problem ... companies could legally take effective
measures to protect their crops. The real solution to this problem
would be federal legalization, but that isn't going to happen until
someone takes the lead. Ask Arizona.

Jerry Petty

Nevada City