DRUG LAWS ARE THE CASH CROP OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

Re "Hash profits to terrorists: Cops," (July 15): The recent claim by the
RCMP that hashish is supporting terrorism is misguided. It may be true that
hashish supports terrorism, but there's a very specific reason for it --
because it is illegal.

Hashish, a concentrated form of marijuana, is only as expensive as it is
because it is illegal. Black market factors drive up the price of illegal
drugs thousands of percent so that the profits made by selling it are far
more than for any legitimate business. On the other hand, if a country were
to regulate hashish, the profits from selling it would plummet so that it
would be no more lucrative than selling potatoes. Then, the nation would
have enough control over the drug trade to boycott Afghan hash.

I'm not surprised that the RCMP made such a statement about hashish, since
drug laws are the cash crop of law enforcement. With the rapid movement in
Europe to loosen drug laws, likely to spread to Canada, the RCMP is seeing
their funding at risk.

What the RCMP did not mention in their statement about terrorism is that
anyone who buys gasoline, is in fact, supporting terrorism. Canada can get
their drugs from other sources, but they still have to get their crude oil
from terrorists like Saddam Hussein.

Alan Reiner

Arlington, VA

(The Middle East isn't the only source of oil in the world, but point taken)