PRISONS AND POT

Re "Turn empty Wal-Marts into regional prisons (July 13).

I find it appalling that the prison industrial complex is so widely
accepted and promoted. How sad to see what were once places of
productivity turned into cages to warehouse non-violent drug
offenders, mostly responsible adult marijuana smokers. All thanks to
the miserably failed "War on Drugs."

The laws make it so that otherwise law abiding, productive citizens
are labeled criminals for their association with a plant and hauled
off to jail.

Why? Think about it. It doesn't cost you a penny for someone to smoke
marijuana in the privacy of his or her own home.

But, if the cops kick in the door and haul them off to jail it's going
to cost you a right sizeable chunk.

Why not change the drug laws in this state so we are not sending hard
drug addicts, responsible adult marijuana consumers and sick people to
prison in the first place?

Better yet, if you want to help our state, legalize cannabis and
industrial hemp, re-open textile plants to produce high quality hemp
textiles, create jobs and sell the goods through Wal-Mart.

Now that sounds like a plan!

Loretta Nall

U.S. Marijuana Party President

Alexander City