Pubdate: Wed, 10 Nov 2010
Source: Tri-City Herald (WA)
Copyright: 2010 Kelin Kreider
Contact:  http://www.tri-cityherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/459
Author: Kelin Kreider

SAFER DRUG POLICY EQUALS JOBS

Help stamp out terrorism and gangs, while creating millions of 
desperately needed jobs -- decriminalize marijuana. A regulated 
medicinal/recreational cannabis industry alone is worth multiple 
billions of taxed income.

Beyond pot production -- the plant has thousands of uses, from paper 
and textiles to food and fuel.

And it all would be grown by American farmers, manufactured into 
products by American workers and sold worldwide, creating real, 
legal, non-outsourced, taxpaying, American jobs.

After 40 years, the U.S. war on drugs has cost over $1 trillion and 
over 100,000 lives wasted. Drug use is rampant and violence 
widespread. Take the money off the black market. Drug plants (coca, 
poppy) cost less to grow than lettuce. The illegality makes the 
insane profits and corruption. No illegal money -- no incentive.

Protect children, get drugs off the streets, end the drug war and 
re-legalize cannabis. Deglamorize hard drugs, put them in clinics 
with doctors in sterile, clean places and offer treatment, not jail 
and drug courts. Bad, violent people -- on drugs/alcohol or not -- 
still go to jail, in now spacious prisons.

A sensible drug policy would be the sane and safer approach and produce jobs.

Kelin Kreider, Pasco
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake