Pubdate: Fri, 10 Jul 2015
Source: Patriot-News, The (PA)
Copyright: 2015 The Patriot-News
Contact: http://www.pennlive.com/mailforms/patriotletters/
Website: http://www.pennlive.com/patriotnews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1630
Author: Rochelle S. Cleaver

WE'RE LOSING THE WAR ON DRUGS - U.S. SHOULD LEGALIZE THEIR SALE AND 
THEN TAX THEM

The number of people murdered in the drug war in the United States is 
larger than the death toll of our military in Iraq and three times 
greater than the death rate of our soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

Mexican drug cartels kill more people than ISIS and they proliferate 
mainly in the United States - killing teens and adults indiscriminately.

The U.S. is on the verge of legalizing pot in many states. Why not 
all? In fact, why not legalize the sale of all drugs and tax them?

The U.S. is losing the war on drugs. Terrorists are using drug 
trafficking monies to fund their activities. Giving Afghanistan 
millions of dollar each year to stop growing poppy is just going 
toward making them cultivate and traffic more poppy, which becomes 
cocaine and heroin. This money is funding the Taliban, ISIL, 
al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, etc.

If drugs were legal, the U.S. could license industry to sell them and 
then tax the profits. Some of the money could be used to rehabilitate 
addicts, and some could be used for internal needs. Addiction would 
be treated as a medical problem and not as a criminal problem. Jails 
would be less crowded. It is cheaper to pay for rehabilitation than 
it is to incarcerate someone for 10 or more years.

Alcohol and cigarettes were at one time illegal. This does not ensure 
that they run rampant now. Should we criminalize glue-sniffing?

Stop the war on drugs, decriminalize them, and stop funding 
terrorism, all with one swift blow.

ROCHELLE S. CLEAVER, Dillsburg
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom