RISKY BUSINESS

RE: "POLICE slam grass price," (July 10.) In reply to a letter from a
gentleman in Pittsburgh who said the black market creates increased profits
for criminals, the Sun replied "prison hinders those profits." Clearly, it
hasn't. Last time I checked, the Hell's Angels weren't having a
going-out-of-business sale. In fact, the higher the level of enforcement,
the greater the profits for organized crime and the greater violence
surrounding the illegal trade in drugs. This occurs because the trade
becomes riskier. In risky business, people can charge higher prices because
of the risk premium. The more you enforce the law, the more criminals can
afford to charge.

Michael Cust

(So what's the solution?)