Pubdate: Thu, 14 Sep 2000
Date: 09/14/2000
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Author: Kenneth J. Brixius
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1306/a05.html

The article about how Colorado has one of the highest marijuana uses
should reflect on how the so-called War on Drugs has failed, and
failed miserably.

After national spending of billions and billions of dollars on this
War on Drugs, don't you find it interesting that nothing has really
been done? If you would really look into the matter, you would find
that it is just as easy today as it was 20 years ago to obtain these
illegal drugs, although more expensive. In Denver, the mayor has
appointed a "drug czar." We have a drug court. Some serious thinking
should be done to really find out if these are all working.

Let us see, we have a drug czar who came up through the ranks working
in a drug court where there is a constant and growing workload. Yet
all of these cases involve people doing what they want to do and there
is not anyone that is twisting their arm to make them do it. They just
have the misfortune to be caught doing what they choose to do and the
idiotic laws that have been made to keep them from doing it.

Let us think of the tax dollars that could be made from the legal
sale. It is a politician's dream of a neverending tax revenue since
there are always people that will buy these drugs.

If these people are not harming anyone but themselves, why continue
this charade? Or have we progressed to the point of allowing only the
politicians to do our thinking?

KENNETH J. BRIXIUS,
Denver

Bookmark: additional articles on Colorado are available at
http://www.mapinc.org/states/co.htm and articles on cannabis are available
at http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm