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EASE POT PENALTY

Regarding the Sentinel editorial "Drug policy gets smarter in Volusia" on March 10: I applaud the efforts of Volusia County in decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana, and I believe that Orange County, along with the city of Orlando should follow suit.

With the current push to legalize medical marijuana, it doesn't make financial sense to arrest and prosecute those who are found with small amounts of the drug.  It costs taxpayers an exorbitant amount of money to prosecute an individual for an infraction.  If the government would make marijuana legal, it would give government an absolute advantage in the market, as it could regulate and legally produce more of it than the current street pharmacists at a lower cost, effectively putting them out of business.

The editorial stated that in lieu of prosecution, the penalty would be a $100 fine.  This alternative would greatly cut the state's cost when compared to prosecuting offenders, which in return would increase local economic growth for the municipality.

LaShanna Tyson Altamonte Springs