On Nov. 21, three Minneapolis police officers opened fire in downtown St. Paul when two suspected marijuana dealers sped off in their car and struck two other officers. Fortunately, no bystanders caught any of the gunfire. This regrettable fracas demonstrates the dangers not of drugs, but of our drug policies.

If marijuana users could buy their drug from a retail outlet as peaceably as bourbon users buy their arguably more dangerous drug, there would be no need for sting operations like the one that sent bullets flying down West Seventh Street. And if policies designed to protect us from the dangers of drugs expose us to the dangers of public shootouts -- while failing to eliminate the drugs -- then those reckless policies need to be reformed. I can teach my children to say "no" to drugs, but I can't teach them how to dodge bullets. Our current drug prohibition subsidizes violent gangs, encourages anyone looking for a fast buck to join in the action, and undermines respect for the law because it unreasonably punishes nonviolent behavior and produces "stings" in which it's unclear who gets stung. It's Prohibition all over again, and it's time for another repeal.

Kenneth Jopp

St. Paul

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