UNWINNABLE DRUG WAR

I'm writing about Ivy Main's column, ``Are Nevadans ready to roll dice on
legal marijuana'' (Aug. 15). America has been rolling the dice for the past
33 years and coming up snake eyes every time, betting that the next
multibillion-dollar drug war budget will be the one that breaks back of the
unwinnable drug war.

Our gamble is doomed for failure because no matter how much money we throw
at the problem, the law of supply and demand is immutable. As long as people
want drugs and are willing to pay a substantial price for them, someone will
produce them and someone will get the drugs to the willing buyers.
Guaranteed.

Speaking of throwing money at the problem, in 1969 the federal drug
enforcement budget was $65 million. This year, it's $19.2 billion. Nearly a
300-fold increase. If the price of gasoline had gone up at the same rate,
we'd be paying $88.50 per gallon.

The net result is that anybody who wants drugs can still get them.

It's time to do something different - substantially different.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.