CONGRESS SHOULD REFORM HARMFUL DRUG LAWS

Regarding your April 13 editorial, drugs did not spawn Mexico's
organized crime networks. Just like alcohol prohibition gave rise to
Al Capone, drug prohibition created the violent drug-trafficking
organizations behind all the killings in Mexico.

With alcohol prohibition repealed in the United States, liquor
bootleggers no longer gun each other down in drive-by shootings. It's
worth noting that Mexico's upsurge in violence only began after an
anti-drug crackdown created a power vacuum among competing cartels.

Drug prohibition funds organized crime at home and terrorism abroad,
which is then used by shameless politicians to justify increased drug
war spending. It's time to end this madness.

Whether we like it or not, drugs are here to stay. Changing human
nature is not an option. Reforming harmful drug laws is an option, one
that a Congress looking to cut wasteful spending should pursue.
Students who want to help reform harmful drug laws should contact
Students for Sensible Drug Policy at www.SchoolsNotPrisons.com.

Robert Sharpe, policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy in
Washington D.C.