Pubdate: Wed, 18 Jul 2012
Source: Sacramento Bee (CA)
Copyright: 2012 The Sacramento Bee
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/0n4cG7L1
Website: http://www.sacbee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/376
Author: Nate Bradley

KEEPING MARIJUANA ILLEGAL DAMAGES ENVIRONMENT

Re "Wildlands caught in drug war crossfire" (Editorials, July 18): 
Your editorial sheds light on the fact that laws banning marijuana 
have negative consequences beyond wasting taxpayer money to punish 
people who don't deserve it. Keeping marijuana illegal and 
unregulated means that criminal gangs and cartels will take every 
opportunity to grow the plant wherever they are least likely to get 
caught and most likely to make easy profits. When we legalize and 
regulate marijuana, there will be absolutely no incentive for 
organized crime to continue growing the plant deep into in our 
wildlands or anywhere else. There's a reason that there are no 
Mexican beer and wine cartels that grow hops and grapes in our 
forests: Alcohol is legal.

- -- Nate Bradley, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, Sheridan
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom