Pubdate: Mon, 25 Jun 2007
Source: Florida Today (Melbourne, FL)
Copyright: 2007 Florida Today
Contact:  http://www.flatoday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/532
Author: Kirk Muse
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

LEGALIZE DRUGS TO REDUCE CRIME

I'm writing about a May 21 letter headlined: "Legalizing drugs would 
save money," supporting legalizing drugs, controlling quality and 
distribution and setting the market up much like the current liquor industry.

Imagine if we had no drug-related crime. Imagine if our overall crime 
rate was a small fraction of our current crime rate.

We once had such a situation here in the United States.

Prior to the passage of the Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914, the term 
"drug-related crime" didn't exist. Neither did drug lords, drug 
cartels or even drug dealers, as we know them today.

Back then, all types of recreational drugs were legally sold to 
anybody with no questions asked, for pennies per dose in grocery 
stores and pharmacies.

Did we have a lot more drug addicts then compared to now? No.

We had about the same percentage of our population addicted to drugs, 
according to U. S. federal judge John L. Kane of Colorado.

For the sake of our children, can we re-legalize our now-illegal 
drugs and sell them in licensed business establishments? This would 
put the drug dealers and drug lords out of business overnight.

And this would eliminate the lure of the "forbidden fruit" that make 
drugs so attractive to children.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman