DRUG WAR HAS FAILED

Though I don't agree with Debra J. Saunders on many issues, her
writing consistently shows that she truly understands that the drug
war and marijuana prohibition have failed and that these policies lead
to real-life, devastating consequences.

Saunders pokes holes in the opposition's arguments (including this
newspaper's) that fear change, and she points out the hypocrisy and
harm of keeping in place laws that don't work.

She gets that Prop. 19 is the way out of this mess. It's the way to
stop wasting tax dollars and resources on ineffective policies and to
reduce the threat to public safety posed by cartels that the current
prohibition enriches and empowers.

Further, it's plain wrong to criminalize responsible, adult use of
cannabis when it is arguably safer to use than alcohol and denies
equal rights to good people who would prefer a toke over a drink.

Marijuana is here to stay, and people are going to consume it, so
taxing, controlling and regulating cannabis now is the sensible thing
to do.

So let's end marijuana prohibition and generate some revenue for the
state in the process.

Mikki Norris, El Cerrito