Pubdate: Thu, 14 May 2009
Source: Sacramento Bee (CA)
Copyright: 2009 The Sacramento Bee
Contact:  http://www.sacbee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/376
Author: Robert Turlington
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n506/a04.html

TREAT MARIJUANA LIKE ALCOHOL

Re "Proposal would create havoc" (Letters, May 10): I personally 
don't think that the legalization of marijuana would have a bad 
effect on the state of California. I am also disgusted with the 
letter writer's outlook on this proposal as a whole.

The governor and state officials need to look at everything that 
would come out of it. Not only the $1.3 billion in annual taxes, but 
you also add up the money saved on law enforcement and state prisons. 
Use that money to focus law enforcement on chemical drugs, cocaine 
and meth. You don't see somebody who has been smoking pot for a year 
or two on the streets soliciting themselves for money or drugs, and 
having missing or messed-up teeth.

Furthermore, if marijuana were treated just like alcohol, then I 
don't see many problems at all. Sell it just like alcohol. Even if 
marijuana were legalized, it wouldn't be a problem if it were treated 
like alcohol in ways such as you would have to be 21 years old to buy 
it. Youths would get into trouble just like they would if it were 
alcohol, driving under the influence and such.

There are a lot of white-collar people who enjoy a nice fat joint at 
night and take care of their business the next day.

- - Robert Turlington, Folsom
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom