U.S. Industries Consider Move As Drug War Wages

LEGALIZE, REGULATE AND MASS PRODUCE

The war on drugs has certainly not ended the drug trade ["Mexico's
drug war causes U.S. industry to pull back," CloseUp, May 16].

Our billions of dollars spent on the war are stopping a small
percentage of the illegal drugs we evidently crave. We have to do
something different now, not later.

I propose legalization, regulation and mass production. This will
drive the price of all drugs to an all-time and unprecedented low,
driving the profit out of drugs and rendering useless everyone in the
drug trade, from the cartels to the users.

The human price will be large at first, but after an initial die-off
in the first six months, the numbers should level off to today's
current levels for overdose deaths.

Also, to get the newly legalized and low-cost drugs, the users must
register and sign a nonresuscitation document for injury due to drug
use. As a result of this change, all the money leaving our country in
the illegal drug trade will be redirected to Main Street. For the
first time, we will have accurate quantifiable numbers on the drug
problem so we can begin treatment programs based on the actual
numbers of users.

- -- Bill Jesernig

Kennewick