In response to my letter, Ray Hagler ("Legalize marijuana? That's a disastrous idea," March 14) misses the primary point, which is: The war on drugs isn't working. Prohibition doesn't work. Never has, never will. Only a small percentage of the total produced is confiscated at a cost of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Mr. Hagler's response was the typical, knee-jerk reaction to the suggestion of legalization. His plaintive cry of "zombies in the streets" is just so much hyperbole. And as for not knowing the harmful effects of marijuana, of course we do -- it's been studied for decades. It causes damage to the respiratory system. So does breathing, for goodness' sake. If you want to get behind prohibiting something really bad for us jump on the tobacco bandwagon.

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