Pubdate: Fri, 30 Jan 2009
Source: DrugSense Weekly (DSW)
Website: http://www.drugsense.org

LETTER OF THE WEEK

Pubdate: Sun, 25 Jan 2009

Source: Times, The (Trenton, NJ)

Author: Richard T. Kuncewitch

Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n071/a02.html

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA, DE-FANG THE DRUG GANGS

The recent guest opinion article "Medical Marijuana: Opening 
Pandora's box?" ( Jan. 20) by Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini stated 
that if we were to allow the compassionate use of medicinal 
marijuana, we would be opening a Pandora's box and set forth its 
monsters upon society.  What about the monsters that are already 
amongst us: the drug gangs that already make many of our urban streets unsafe?

Worldwide, we have narco-terrorist gangs rampaging out of control. We 
need look no further than at the atrocities committed daily in Mexico 
to see the measure of misery caused by failed law-enforcement 
efforts.  Admittedly the U.S.  DEA ( Drug Enforcement Agency ) can 
interdict a fraction of the drugs smuggled into the U.S. This kind of 
failure rate would not be tolerated anywhere else but in the 
government community.  Obviously, law enforcement and the risk of 
incarceration are no deterrent at all.  Even the risk of death or 
maiming does not seem to stem the flow of young men and women willing 
to risk all for the billions to be made in the illicit drug industry.

The only solution would be to take the tools that empower the gangs 
out of their hands.  No money, and they will not be able to finance 
their terror armies.  Put ting aside the moral argument about drugs, 
this is the only sensible solution. After all, alcohol and tobacco 
are drugs, too, and they are cash cows for our government.

The politicians who profit mightily and the law-enforcement 
communities would howl at the loss. After all, corrections and its 
related periphery are big business for those holding the strings of 
control. The world community as a whole would prefer to see 
vanquished the monsters already amongst.  So, why worry about a 
potential Pandora's box if we allow those who are suffering to smoke 
pot when the beasts are not contained within the box but already set 
free and feeding on us?

Legalize marijuana.  Control it and regulate it. Reap the profits 
both financially and socially worldwide.

Richard T. Kuncewitch, Trenton 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake