I am a retired New Jersey State Trooper with extensive experience working narcotics cases. Bob Percopo, in his Feb. 4 oped "Legalizing drugs makes no sense," called recent drug policy reforms hypocritical.

But our prohibitive strategy of the past half-century has done nothing to curb drug abuse while simultaneously making our streets more dangerous. When those who received commutations were behind bars, the drug market didn't slow down in the slightest. People were - - and still are - overdosing.

Contrary to Percopo's worries, legalizing marijuana is actually a great option for reducing the burden on the legal system and improving public safety while simultaneously reducing the severity of the opiate crisis. In states where medical marijuana is legal and regulated, opiate overdoses have decreased by 25 percent.

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