DECRIMINALIZING DRUGS WILL SOLVE MANY PROBLEMS

Major kudos to retired police detective Marshall Frank for his outstanding
opinion: 'Time to wake up and decriminalize drugs' (6-30-04).
I'd like to add that many judges and prison wardens have said that 70 to 90
percent of all property crime and violent crime is 'drug-related.' Actually
almost 100 percent 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 5
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 all types of recreational drugs were legally available in
local licensed business establishments for pennies per dose, drug
users wouldn't have to rob, steal or commit acts of prostitution to
obtain their drugs of choice. And deaths from recreational drugs would
be a small fraction of what they are today because the drugs would be
of known quality, known purity and known potency.

Many currently employed in law enforcement are opposed to the idea of
re-legalizing all types of recreational drugs. Thatis because if drugs
were re-legalized, we would need far fewer law enforcement personnel,
far fewer prison guards and no prison builders.

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

Of course, those opposed to re-legalizing drugs because it would
affect their livelihood will not say so. Instead they will cite noble
reasons such as protecting the children. As if the current policies
are protecting children from drugs.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.