LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA WOULD HELP US IN MANY WAYS

The war on drugs has created a perpetual cycle. And the winner is ...
nobody. How can progress continue to be measured in cops, arrests,
lawyers and jails? Simple economics states lesser supply supports
higher demand and increased price/profit; without fail more suppliers
are lured into the market demanding higher prices because of increased
risk. This cycle needs to stop. Why not treat humans humanely and
spend the $2.4 million on rehabilitation instead of incarceration?

Let's concentrate on the real problem -- addiction. Besides the 20
percent budget dollars already allocated to police, they keep the
majority of the booty from big drug arrests and fundraising efforts.

How much more of our money are we willing to give them before we
question the effectiveness of this approach? Must we continue to wage
war and openly terrorize our own citizens?

Why not legalize/decriminalize marijuana, thereby separating it from
hard drugs, decreasing its value and offering an alternative to
alcohol? This is a valid solution that would free up the police force
and improve the disposition of the general populace. Happier people
are less inclined to commit crimes. Expensive, fear-based
military-style police crusades are not the answer to this perpetual
cycle.

Clifton B. Ingram Jr., Mars Hill