MARIJUANA'S PLACE

Re "The government's reefer madness," Op-Ed, Jan. 11: After reading the
previous day's story detailing the firing of a RagingWire
Telecommunications Inc. employee for the off-duty use of marijuana under a
doctor's care ("Firing over medical pot is upheld," Jan. 10), I was pleased
to read an article that seemed to make sense of an issue that rightfully
should be an affront to every American who believes in personal freedom and
fiscal responsibility. At a time of an increasing deficit and decreasing
levels of education and health care for children and the elderly, we should
not, as citizens, advocate spending one dime on arresting (more than
700,000) and incarcerating (more than 10,000) U.S. citizens who are simply
pursuing a vice that is undeniably less damaging in terms of lives lost
than alcohol or tobacco (both major political campaign contributors).

Where is the outrage?

As our country learned in 1932, control, and not prohibition, is the
answer. Ask any high school student and he will tell you that it is easier
to get pot from criminals who have no qualms about selling to children than
it is to get beer or cigarettes from a liquor store that has its license
and livelihood on the line when selling to minors.

David Nelson, Sacramento