DRUG PROHIBITION KEEPS POLICE IN WORK

Re: Why are Police Lying About Marijuana (July 9)

I'm writing about William Bradley's thoughtful letter: Why are Police
Lying About Marijuana (July 9). The short answer is because they fear
for their jobs.

The police and others fear that the end of marijuana prohibition will
lead to the end of all recreational drug prohibition. And then to the
end of their jobs.

Many judges and prison wardens have said that 70 to 90 per cent of all
property and violent crime is "drug-related." Actually almost 100 per
cent of all so-called "drug-related crime" is caused by drug
prohibition policies - not drugs.

When Coca-Cola contained cocaine instead of caffeine and sold for five
cents a bottle, the term "drug-related crime" didn't exist. Neither
did drug lords, drug cartels or even drug dealers as we know them today.

If we re-legalized all types of recreational drugs and they were sold
in local, licensed business establishments for pennies per dose, we
would need far fewer law enforcement personnel, far fewer prison
guards and no prison builders.

Thus, many now employed in law enforcement or the prison industry
would be looking for a job or washing cars for a living.

Therefore, those in law enforcement and the prison industry have a
vested interest in maintaining the status quo.

Therefore, taxpayers have a vested interest in changing the status
quo.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Arizona