HIGHER THINKING

Responses To Bode Olakanmi's June 27 Column, "Ending The War On Drugs With
Decriminalization?"

My question is, why decriminalization? Why not do what worked in the past?
Full legalization of all types of recreational drugs.

Ninety years ago, pure pharmaceutical grade Bayer heroin was legally sold
in local pharmacies for about the same price as Bayer aspirin. Ninety years
ago, Coca-Cola contained cocaine instead of caffeine and sold for 5 cents a
bottle.

Ninety years ago, we had approximately 1.8 percent of our population
addicted to drugs, according to U. S. federal Judge John Kane of Colorado.

Today, after 90 years of 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 nor drug cartels. These were all created by our drug-prohibition
policies, not drugs.

Ninety years ago, deaths from recreational drugs were very rare. That's
because the drugs were of known quality, known purity, and known potency.

Today, recreational drugs are untaxed, unregulated, controlled by criminal
gangs, and support international terrorists.

It's time to end this insanity and do something different - substantially
different.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz., resident