KEEP POT A CRIME

To the editor:

I do not understand why people believe that if we "legalize"
marijuana, we will be able to tax and regulate the marijuana industry
in Alaska.

Raising and selling marijuana is a federal crime. What marijuana grow
operation in the state is run by such idiots that they would identify
themselves to the state for "regulation" when doing so would make
their operations transparent to federal agents? So instead of raising
and selling in violation of marijuana laws, they would be raising and
selling in violation of state taxation and licensing regulations. No
net decrease in crime here. And how can the state justify taxing,
profiting from and thus being complicit in an industry that is a
federal crime?

It's difficult for scientific research to prove that marijuana is as
harmful as tobacco and alcohol when the use of marijuana is illegal,
and therefore difficult to track and study. Alcohol and tobacco have
been terribly costly health problems for our nation and our state, and
their effects have been demonstrated repeatedly in many studies.

If marijuana becomes legal, we will be able to study its effects more
thoroughly. We may indeed find then that it is a dangerous drug, but
then it will be too late to prevent the damage. From the many people
in this world that I have known that have never met their potential in
life because their insight and drive and judgment were taken by
marijuana, I believe the costs would be high.

Elizabeth Engle

Fairbanks