END THE INSANITY

I'm writing about John M. White's not-so-thoughtful letter "Decriminalizing
Drugs Would Be Destructive" (The Pilot, June 22). No doubt many types of
recreational drugs can be very destructive. So why would White or anybody
else want recreational drugs to be completely unregulated and controlled by
criminal gangs?

Ninety years ago, when all types of recreational drugs were legally
available in local pharmacies for pennies per dose, we had 1.8 percent of
our population addicted to drugs, according to federal Judge John Kane of
Colorado.

Today, after 90 years of recreational drug criminalization and transforming
the former "Land of Liberty" into the most incarcerated nation on the planet
and in history, we still have about 1.8 percent of our population addicted
to drugs. Ninety years ago, the term "drug-related crime" didn't exist.
Neither did drug lords or drug cartels. These were all created by our drug
prohibition policies. Not drugs.

Ninety years ago, deaths from recreational drugs were rare because drugs
were of known quality, potency and purity.

Today recreational drugs are untaxed, unregulated and controlled by criminal
gangs. Just as alcohol was during our alcohol prohibition era. It's time to
end this insanity.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.