Pubdate: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 Source: Salina Journal, The (KS) Copyright: 2009 The Salina Journal Contact: http://www.saljournal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1752 Author: Tom Bell, Editor & Publisher Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) COMMON SENSE IS THE ANSWER Decriminalizing pot better than sending our troops into danger Drug cartels are responsible for murdering 6,300 in Mexico last year and even more will be killed in 2009. Law enforcement has broken down in border cities like Juarez and Tijuana, where police are told to either take bribes or take a bullet. Public officials are beheaded along with journalists who dare criticize drug lords. Thousands of Mexican troops have moved into hot spots where they are outgunned and out-maneuvered by well-funded gangs. According to a story in the San Francisco Chronicle, the U.S. Joint Forces Command considers Mexico's government in critical danger of failing. The violence is so bad President Obama is considering moving National Guard and Army troops to the border. The Associated Press and Chronicle also report that problems extend far beyond the border. Gangs have moved marijuana-growing operations into national parks in Northern California, where they poison streams with fertilizers and pesticides. Mexican citizens are kidnapped to work the fields as slaves and gang members have threatened anyone crossing their paths. An AP story published Friday told how cartels are recruiting U.S. teenagers to roam major cities and gun down competitors. The Mexican government shares some of the blame for this explosion of violence. A tradition of corruption runs deep in law enforcement and the military. Tough action has been slow to come. But the root of the problem is U.S. demand for drugs such as cocaine and marijuana. Washington's War on Drugs tries to stem the flow with enforcement that drives up prices and generates untold wealth for drug lords. Years of harsh prison sentences and billions of dollars have done little to stem U.S. consumption. The answer is to remove the reason for proliferating violence: profit. Imagine what would happen if marijuana were decriminalized and smokers could buy their high from a nearby farmer or grow a few plants of their own. Cities and states could collect taxes from pot rather than spend dollars trying to enforce antiquated drug laws -- statutes that even prohibit growing hemp varieties that are cheap renewable sources for rope, clothes, food and oil-based products. Cocaine is another matter entirely. But removing penalties from marijuana use and possession would cut problems by more than half. Decriminalization is a common-sense solution here, and it's far better than sending our troops to face drug lords' bullets. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom