Pubdate: Thu, 01 Jan 2004 Source: Delta Democrat Times (MS) Copyright: 2004 Delta Democrat Times Contact: http://www.ddtonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2123 Author: Kirk Muse Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1981.a01.html REMOVE THE PROFIT MOTIVE To the editor: Thanks to the Delta Democrat Times for publishing the outstanding letter from John Chase: "Remove illegal drug profit" (Dec. 23). I'd like to add that decriminalization of drugs is not the answer. The answer is full re-legalization of all types of recreational drugs and having them legally available in local pharmacies for pennies per dose. This would eliminate: the "forbidden fruit" appeal of drugs, the profit motive for drug dealers and thus drug dealers, as we know them today. This would also eliminate most of the harms of recreational drugs because the drugs would be of known quality, known purity and known potency. The drugs could then be regulated, controlled and taxed by our government instead of criminal gangs. Speaking of taxes, only legal products can be taxed by our government. By keeping recreational drugs as criminalized products, we are throwing away several hundred billion dollars in potential tax income. It seems to me that non-drug users should welcome the idea of taxing a product they don't use. Kirk Muse, Mesa, Ariz. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin