Pubdate: Mon, 24 Aug 2009 Source: Sacramento Bee (CA) Copyright: 2009 The Sacramento Bee Contact: http://www.sacbee.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/376 Author: Katie Reed LEGALIZE POT, AND EVERYONE WINS Re "Pot house raids expand" (Page A1, Aug. 19): Now is the time to legalize and tax pot! It would create legitimate jobs such as growers, distributors, research, sales and advertising. Taxes could be collected at a similar rate as tobacco. The efforts used to stop marijuana use and cultivation could be used to combat real drugs such as methamphetamine, heroin and prescription misuse. I have never met a pot head who would destroy his or her entire life for some bud. I have known too many tweakers who would destroy their lives along with the lives of their children, parents, siblings and grandparents to get a fix. The people in the pot business are varied in their motivation. Some are trying to make a quick buck that is untaxed; often those people are committing fraud on our welfare, food stamp and medical programs. Some people are put in situations where they see no other option, such as the immigrants that attorney John W. Renwick is defending. Legalization of pot, a drug that is no more harmful than our other legal drugs (alcohol and tobacco), would create jobs, prevent fraud, generate much-needed taxes and free up law enforcement for serious crimes. Katie Reed, Sacramento - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake