Pubdate: Fri, 27 Feb 2009 Source: Wall Street Journal (US) Copyright: 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Contact: http://www.wsj.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/487 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n218/a03.html Author: Guy Randolph U.S. POLICY ON DRUGS HAS BIG REPERCUSSIONS ABROAD Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Cesar Gaviria and Ernesto Zedillo's "The War on Drugs Is a Failure" (op-ed, Feb. 23) is right on the money. Responsible people from Latin America have shown the courage to state what is politically incorrect in America. Now it is time for some high profile responsible Americans to do the same. We can control and tax legalized drugs, as we do cigarettes and alcohol. Or we can give organized crime a corner on the illegal drug market, jail our citizens and continue to follow a failed policy. Just think back to Prohibition, which did not work. Today, legalized alcohol produces tax revenue. The objections to drug legalization are well known. "Smoking pot will lead to heroin addiction," etc. It is time to get real. People have vices. They smoke cigarettes and get lung cancer. They eat chocolate cake and get obese. They buy lottery tickets and gamble. They drink beer and get high. But worst of all, they take drugs and support organized crime. Let's change that to, they take drugs and pay taxes and get high. I thank the gentlemen from Latin America for raising the issue. Now it is up to America to follow through. Guy Randolph Savannah, Ga. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake