AN ARGUMENT FOR LEGALIZING DRUGS

Allow me to state that I am anti-drug use but I believe we are going
about it the wrong way. I believe a pragmatic approach is what is needed.

Dennis Wyatt's analysis ("California could make Mexican drug cartels
bolder" - July 31) of the Mexican drug cartels is well done but only
deals with the current situation. I believe we need to change the
playing field. His first point is that the cartels that control
multi-billion of dollars won't go quietly into the night. I agree
that they won't if they have a choice and profits are what give them
a choice. The partial legalization of marijuana protects the drug
cartels by restricting the supply. Restricting the supply drives the
price up and increases the profits. Lets look at this issue from the
cartels point of view.

First of all, competition is restricted because it is illegal. That's
good for business. They make enough money to hire armed guards to
protect their crops. Regular farmers growing legal crops don't need
that kind of protection. The cartels can use violence to restrict
competition. The cartels like their current situation because the
current laws protect them from the marketplace.

I haven't heard of a pot shortage in the last 40 years. It grows
easily. Why does it cost more than a pack of cigarettes? The premium
and extra profit comes from the "illegal" branding. Making it illegal
gives it an undeserved risk premium that the cartels enjoy.

If we take our current approach of making marijuana marginally legal
Wyatt is probably right that the cartels will brutalize the small
growers to protect their profits. The question is how will they be
able to afford to protect their interests if marijuana becomes a farm
legal crop like tobacco?

The cartels may become the legitimate growers and be more efficient
than the new entries into the marketplace due to their expertise but
they will then be regulated and pay taxes. It is time to realize that
marijuana is a crop like tobacco. (Tax marijuana the same as
cigarettes) as that would give us $4 in taxes per pack of joints.

Right now medicinal marijuana makes us "half pregnant". Will a full
legalization make it so heavily used that it will have a negative
effect on our society? The argument is that the legality and lower
price will increase the use of Marijuana. There is no doubt that some
people will have problems with it just like alcohol. Taxing the
profits would greatly enhance our ability to help those folks with
problems because I haven't heard of the cartels opening a clinic. I
would advocate the legalization of marijuana while strengthening the
rights of companies to drug test and reject applicants who test positive.

There is no moral ground to stand on here. Alcohol, tobacco,
marijuana, crack, heroin...are all bad for us. My take is that by
taking the high moral road on illegal drugs, we are increasing the
supply of dope of all kinds

I advocate the legalization and taxation of many drugs along with
strong laws to protect the private sector's ability to drug test and
harsh penalties for driving while impaired. It is time to realize
that prohibition of any form just increases the profits and hence the
supply and that policing these crimes is exhaustingly expensive.
While the intentions are good, our current system just hasn't been
successful. Legalizing drugs will push the illegals out of business.
How many folks do you know making a living with a still? I truly
believe that reducing drug sales can only be achieved by ripping the
profits out of the business and thereby eliminating the sales force.