DRUG WAR DRAGS ON

Tuesday's editorial on the medical marijuana raid is constructive but
rather subdued.

I remember when Nixon declared war on drugs. Drugs won that war long
ago. However, our federal government continues to pursue a course
that does not abate the plague of drug abuse but erodes our rights as
citizens, creates a large criminal subculture to supply the demand
for drugs and corrupts nations around the world that find production
of drugs for America's addicts extremely profitable. By now, it
should be obvious that dealing with the demand for drugs by
attempting to remove the supply does not work.

An earlier generation of Americans learned this lesson with Prohibition.

It only took 13 years to stop that misguided attempt to conquer demon
rum. Yet the drug war has been waged for more than a generation.

The medical marijuana initiative is a sensible first step in ending
the attempt to stop drug addition by force. So, it is disturbing that
the local sheriff has joined the drug warriors in their senseless
quest to thwart the will of California's voters.

Richard Moore

Arroyo Grande