LEGALIZE IT - REDUCE CRIME

Your editorial "No on Prop. 19" (Sept. 16) argues for a no vote
because Proposition 19 is flawed.

But criminal prohibition of marijuana is a disaster and a failure.
Anyone who wishes can get marijuana in California despite the law.

The black market flowing from prohibition provides enormous profits
for cartels and drug gangs and leads to millions of crimes and
violence and corruption, the stigmatizing and jailing of otherwise
law-abiding citizens and vast costs in policing, the courts and prisons.

A "yes" vote for Prop. 19 would prevent millions of crimes without
increasing costs, lead to better policing and actually produce new
revenue.

Joseph McNamara, Prop. 19 campaign adviser, Stanford