PROHIBITION CAUSES CRIME

To the editor;

Thanks for publishing Robert Sharpe's outstanding letter, Legitimize
Marijuana Now (LTW June 21).

I'd like to add that almost all so-called "drug-related crime" is caused by
drug prohibition. Not the drugs.

When Coca-Cola contained cocaine instead of caffeine, the term
"drug-related crime" didn't exist.

Neither did drug lords or drug cartels.

These were all created by drug prohibition.

As for the "gateway effect" of marijuana, most users of marijuana are only
interested in marijuana.

But they will often be offered free samples of other much more dangerous
drugs like heroin, cocaine, or meth.

Thus the "gateway effect" is created by marijuana prohibition policies. Not
the marijuana itself.

Best regards, Kirk Muse, Mesa, Arizona

Are you saying 'dopes' are running the country?