PAUL IS RIGHT: LEGALIZE DRUGS

Last week I sent Ron Paul $25. I'm an Independent who wants to see the
best Republican run against the best Democrat. I like President Obama.
I like Paul. Now that would be the election of a lifetime.

How about the feds threatening to arrest medicinal marijuana shop owners
in California? It's a $1 billion-a-year business, with tax revenue $100
million. I liked the Monitor's Oct. 6 editorial on Ken Burns's
Prohibition. You wrote about the parallels between Prohibition and the
war on drugs. I agree with Paul: Legalize all drugs. Use the tax revenue
for public schools and drug and alcohol treatment centers. Relieve the
state from this burden. Don't people see there is a shortage of
affordable free treatment centers? Yet no shortage of drugs. Give me $50
to $100 and two hours, and even I could round up prescription drugs,
cocaine or heroin. Drugs are often easier to find than work.

This is partially because it is human nature to try almost everything
life has to offer. Also, the federal government is the largest
supplier of prescription drugs through various well-intended
disability programs. Some of these drugs get sold by the recipient for
supplemental income. If we legalize drugs, we would take away the
power from the Mexican drug cartels and not have to threaten the
Afghanistan poppy fields, which we are never going to control anyway.

Dan Schroth Piermarocchi

Pittsfield