MAKE POT LEGAL

Editor:

In this article ('Victim' arrested with pot, TIMES May 11), we see
another "drug crime" which would not exist without drug prohibition.
Since there is an enormous demand for marijuana, and no way to obtain
it legally, those who do cater to society's forbidden desires place
themselves at risk from every angle.

Thieves target the grow operation, not because they want to get high,
but because they want to make easy money. Police, by taking this
marijuana off the street, are merely helping to keep it worth its
weight in gold, which only encourages other thieves. Since the grower
cannot seek justice under the law, they often resort to violence.

Compare that to the state of business at any Canadian brewery or
distillery. Because they operate within the law, they can call the
police if an armed gang tries to steal their product. But are armed
gangs terrorizing our liquor industry? No. Why not? Because alcohol is
sold for a fair and reasonable price through licensed establishments.
It wasn't too long ago that alcohol was a black market commodity, and
when it was, it caused many of the same problems we see with marijuana
prohibition today. If we were to criminalize coffee, we'd soon see the
Coffee Cops proudly posing with confiscated hills of beans, while a
black market would spring up so fast even Starbucks would be envious.

It's past time we changed the marijuana laws and ended this ridiculous
war on our own people. Don't we have real enemies to worry about?

Kendall M. Cox

Illinois