Pubdate: Wed, 09 Nov 2016
Source: Wall Street Journal (US)
Copyright: 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.wsj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/487
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v16/n664/a03.html
Author: William F. Hinesar

RESPONSE TO "A BRAVE NEW WEED"

Regarding your editorial "A Brave New Weed" (Nov. 2): One of the
primary arguments for legalizing marijuana and other drugs was to
eliminate the criminal element. Here in Colorado, and in other states
as well, the politicians have allowed greed to outweigh intelligence.
The tax structure and regulations involved in growing, handling and
selling marijuana are so outrageous that the drug cartels can still
sell their product cheaper than the legitimate dealers. Now we have to
deal with two sources of the drug, the establishment and the drug dealers.

As the states are now allowing behavior that is contrary to the laws
of our federal government, this allows police departments and the
federal policing agencies to engage in even more cases of civil asset
forfeiture. This lets our governmental agencies take funds and
property even without any real evidence of a crime (only a suspicion
is needed), and to keep the money although there is no conviction of a
crime.

In many communities the only way marijuana laws could be passed was
with the supposedly low-hanging fruit of easy tax money for schools
and other projects. This, of course, added to the price, making the
illegal product even cheaper. At least we are no longer sending people
to expensive jails just for possessing a single reefer.

William F. Hineser

Arvada, Colo.
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MAP posted-by: Matt