LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

Kudos for your thoughtful editorial. Neither Canada nor the United States
have coffee or tobacco related crime. That would soon change if either of
these products were taken off the legitimate market and criminalized.

If coffee or tobacco were criminalized, they would be untaxed, unregulated
and controlled by criminal gangs just like marijuana and other recreational
drugs are today.

The legalization of marijuana will take the criminal element out of the
marijuana business in a heartbeat. With legalization, marijuana won't be
sold by the same people who also sell dangerous drugs like heroin, crack
cocaine and methadone and offer free samples to their marijuana customers.

Of course, many people, industries and institutions on both sides of the
border and law, have a vested interest in making sure marijuana is never
legalized.

Both drug warriors and drug dealers stand to loose if marijuana is
legalized, regulated and controlled by your government.

Kirk Muse, Mesa, Ariz.