Pubdate: Fri, 12 Aug 2011 Source: Visalia Times-Delta, The (CA) Copyright: 2011 The Visalia Times-Delta Contact: http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/customerservice/contactus.html Website: http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2759 Author: Al Vanderslice LEGALIZE POT AND REDUCE CRIME PROBLEMS In California, the government has more control over a package of cigarettes than it does over medical pot. Federal law says cigarettes are legal; pot is not. Let's take the profit out of medi-cal pot. Let the major tobacco companies raise, package and sell pot the same as they do cigarettes. I am sure that it could be sold for about the same price as a package of cigarettes, that would make it affordable to those who need it for medical reasons. The government could control it as they do cigarettes. They would collect their taxes, and it would take the profit out of it, so no more drug dealers. No one could compete with the tobacco companies on a low price. Our national parks would be cleaned up. No more pesticides, fertilizer, plastic hoses and garbage to clean up because there is no profit in raising it. Don't get me wrong, I am not for dope or for smoking, but it seems that anyone who wants a medical card for medical pot can get one for a few hundred dollars or so. Take out the profit. No more dealing with illegal grows, no more co-ops to grow it, because you can go down and buy it cheaper. I am sure my idea is too simple, not complicated enough for the government to do something like this. Al Vanderslice Farmersville - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom