LEGALIZE DRUGS

I'm writing about Thomas Hanes' thoughtful letter: "Drug offenders are
filling up regional jails," April 22. I'd like to add that 80 years ago,
liquor dealers settled their disputes with each other the same way drug
dealers do today - with violence.

Many prison wardens have said that 70 to 80 percent of all violent crime
and property crime is drug-related.

Ninety years ago, when all types of recreational drugs were legally sold in
local pharmacies for pennies per dose, the term "drug-related crime" didn't
exist. Neither did drug lords, drug cartels or drug dealers as we know them
today.

If we re-legalized all types of recreational drugs and made them available
in local pharmacies for pennies per dose, our violent crime would be
reduced by at least 70 percent.

Therefore, we would need far fewer law-enforcement personnel, far fewer
prisons, far fewer prison guards and no prison builders. Therefore, law
enforcement, prison guards and prison builders have a vested interest in
maintaining the status quo of drug prohibition. Therefore, taxpayers have a
vested interest in changing the status quo of drug prohibition.

Recreational drugs are far too dangerous to remain untaxed, unregulated and
controlled by criminal gangs.

KIRK MUSE

Mesa, Ariz.