MIXED MESSAGE ON MARIJUANA

Congratulations California voters: By defeating Proposition 19, you've
succeeded in keeping the Mexican drug cartels and the street drug
dealers raking in huge profits, committed precious law enforcement
manpower to the pursuit of a futile effort, empowered more gang
violence, obligated yourselves to continued expenditures prosecuting
and imprisoning people who shouldn't be in the criminal justice
system, and prevented a huge potential source of revenue for your
bankrupt state.

Stuart Singer

Arlington, Texas

Re "Youth vote falters; Prop. 19 falls short," Nov.
3

Proposition 19's failure makes it that much more important to
facilitate research into the benefits and harms of marijuana. At
present, researchers have to contend with a monopoly on the marijuana
supply held by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, whose mission is
to study the harmful effects of illicit drugs.

We need to pressure the Drug Enforcement Administration to issue
another marijuana cultivation license. In 2007, DEA Administrative Law
Judge Mary Ellen Bittner found that the agency should issue a license
to a researcher to cultivate marijuana; her recommendation was rejected.

It's time we ask why the DEA upholds an obstructionist federal
monopoly.

Stephen Morseman

San Leandro, Calif.