IT'S TIME TO END PROHIBITION OF POT

To the Editor:

Elbert Guillory is on the right track when discussing the utter failure of
current marijuana prohibition laws and further, the collateral damage to
society by long-term application of Prohibition policies. This view is also
expressed by a growing group of judges and police who believe the best way
to deal with marijuana is to legalize it and essentially eliminate the
criminal dealers. These men and women have organized as Law Enforcement
Against Prohibition - www.leap.cc.

LEAP knows that criminal dealers are the ones who actively market marijuana
to minors and who conduct violence in the streets. Most important criminal
dealers require millions of valuable police man-hours be wasted in a futile
attempt to 'control' illegal marijuana flow. The only way to control a
substance in such high demand is to have it a regulated market. This is how
we pragmatically deal with the risky and most commonly abused drug in North
America - alcohol.

Legalizing marijuana will not solve all the problems related to its use or
abuse. But we did not end alcohol Prohibition in 1934 because alcohol use
was without risk. We did it because of the urgent need to put Al Capone and
other criminal dealers out of business and move the product into a market
that could be easily monitored by authorities.

It's time for an equally sensible change in policy for the 21st century.
It's time to legalize and regulate marijuana distribution for responsible
adult use.

Stephen Heath, Florida Office, LEAP