Toughening Marijuana Laws

I read the front-page article “Lenient Pot Laws Go Up in Smoke” (Aug. 29) with disgust. How hypocritical of our society to condemn marijuana use when millions of American smoke it every day with minimum effects on themselves and society.

I am a 28 year old who has smoked marijuana for about 8 years with some frequency. I did not start smoking as a teen-ager, but waited until adulthood after I had ample information about the effect of marijuana. I do not consider myself a substance abuser. I don’t drink alcoholic beverages, nor do I indulge in any other “recreational drugs” other than marijuana.

Your article attempts to link marijuana use with crack cocaine gang violence. Bull! The reason that cocaine use is on the rise is a simple supply-and-demand issue. Politicians and law enforcement agencies who target pot users as a fig-leaf approach to a failed drug policy are making it more difficult to purchase marijuana. When the supply goes down, demand remains the same, and higher profits in the marijuana market are realized. And the only people who are now willing to take the risk of selling marijuana are hard-core dealers. Also, when marijuana becomes too expensive to buy, and cocaine becomes cheaper and easier to obtain, the drug problem is only exacerbated. For the past five years, I have watched the price of marijuana double, while the price of cocaine has dropped 50%.

I do not want to minimize the problems that society is now facing because of illegal drug use. I know the violence and addiction that comes with cocaine, but didn’t we learn this lesson in the 1930s with Prohibition? If millions of hard-working, decent Americans want to come home and smoke a joint instead of drinking liquor can we really stop them? I don’t believe so, not without crushing our basic civil liberties in the process. My suggestion to those, like myself, who seek a rational drug prevention policy is to take the profit away from the drug barons by legalizing personal consumption of recreational drugs, provide more accessible drug treatment programs, and educate our young about the pros and cons of drug use.

I strongly urge our elected officials to resist the temptation to reverse recent marijuana decriminalization laws.

DENNIS RICHARDSON

Santa Ana