STOP WASTING POLICE RESOURCES

As the executive director of the world's largest organization of
police, judges and other criminal-justice professionals who oppose
the policy of drug prohibition, I'd like to echo letter writer Bob
Niewoehner's appeal to legalize marijuana for qualified medical
patients ["Making Sense of Medical Marijuana," March 15].

One can be diligent with concerns about possible marijuana abuse
without endorsing the most absurd waste of police resources
imaginable - that of arresting, processing and jailing medical
patients who use marijuana with a doctor's recommendation. Our
membership of over 5,000 believes it's time to end criminal
prohibitions against adult consensual use of any drug, but especially
medical marijuana. This need is even more urgent if one views pot as
a dangerous drug. It is our opinion that risky and dangerous
substances are best distributed in controlled and regulated settings.
Such regulation is impossible under a system of criminal prohibition.
We strongly commend all Americans working to change this misguided
policy of arresting, prosecuting and caging otherwise law-abiding
medical patients.

Jack A. Cole

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Medford, Mass.