DECRIMINALIZE POT

In his letter, "A new approach" (April 8), Earl O. Christianson claims that
Gov. Doyle is proposing major modifications to the state's incarceration
binge that would help balance the budget.

The reality is Doyle's proposals are just a baby step, and do little to
help balance the budget. Worse, the small size of Doyle's proposals mean
that the University of Wisconsin system will be taking a major hit that
could seriously impact its educational mission.

For far too long, Wisconsin lawmakers and former Governors Thompson and
McCallum were content to put politics ahead of common sense by ratcheting
up drug penalties. But, ordinary otherwise law-abiding adults who indulge
in a little pot now and then are not criminals, and putting them in jail
with real criminals changes them forever. Substance use and abuse is best
handled as a public health problem.

A good start at reducing criminal justice expenditures across the board
would be an immediate moratorium on all marijuana investigations, arrests
and prosecutions, and the release from county jails and state prisons all
non-violent marijuana offenders. From the cop not making the arrest, to the
DA not prosecuting, to the jail not incarcerating, many millions can be
saved across the board.

If we can let people possess and consume unlimited amounts of alcohol and
tobacco, both demonstrably more dangerous than pot, why do we put people
caught with a little pot in cages?

Gary Storck

Member, Wisconsin NORML Steering Committee

(http://www.winorml.org)

Madison