Pubdate: Sun, 15 Aug 2010 Source: Sacramento Bee (CA) Copyright: 2010 Robert Hasapis Contact: http://www.sacbee.com/2006/09/07/19629/submit-letters-to-the-editor.html Website: http://www.sacbee.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/376 Author: Robert Hasapis Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n636/a03.html MOST MAJOR CRIMES LINKED TO POT Re "Weed goes mainstream" (Page A1, Aug. 8): The reporter did not complete his research on the topic. I am a retired peace officer who has seen many things while working nearly 30 years in Sacramento County. The majority of card-holding medicinal marijuana users I came into contact with were not in medical need. The majority of major crimes homicides, home invasions, assault with a deadly weapon causing major injuries, etc. that were drug-related were over marijuana. Throughout my career, you could add up all the above crimes that were over cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin and they would not come close to those that involved marijuana. Two are still fresh in my mind: a homicide behind a middle school in which we followed the trail of marijuana to the suspect's house; and a gangster who was shot in the face and scooped up all his stash prior to going to the hospital, and a rival gangster from Oakland who was found dead days later on one of our freeway offramps. Unfortunately, until marijuana (maybe even other drugs) is legalized on a federal level, as Prohibition was ended in the 1930s, the only people who profit are the bad guys, attorneys and law enforcement. Robert Hasapis, Sacramento - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D