Pubdate: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 Source: Catoosa County News, The (GA) Copyright: 2004 The Catoosa County News Contact: http://www.catoosanews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3324 Author: Kirk Muse ARIZONA READER PROPOSES LEGALIZING DRUGS Dear editor: Missouri and Oklahoma have had meth problems for the past dozen years that states like Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina are now just starting to have. The solution of the Missouri and Oklahoma Legislature was to get really tough on meth producers. As a result, both of these states have some of the toughest anti-meth laws in the nation. The net result is that both Missouri and Oklahoma are now experiencing meth production and abuse at record levels and epidemic proportions. Their meth problem is now worse than it ever has been. I believe that the only solution to our nation's drug abuse problem is to have pharmaceutical grade amphetamines and other recreational drugs legally available in local pharmacies for pennies per dose. This would eliminate the profit motive, and thus drug dealers as we know them today. As to the message the legalization, regulation and government control of recreational drugs would send to our children: It's not the proper role of a free government to attempt to protect adult citizens from themselves. Kirk Muse Mesa, Ariz. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin