Tougher Law Enforcement Will Mean Bigger Profits for Drug Dealers, Not Decreased Use

James Flanigan made an excellent analysis of cash flow and profit structure of the illegal cocaine business. He should have left it at that, rather than wandering into those vague generalities regarding results if legalization were to take place.

Let’s face it: William Bennett and President Bush (perhaps less flamboyantly) are Rambos in business suits. Earmarking billions of dollars for materiel and “advisers” for Colombia and more cops and jails at home gets their adrenaline going; using those billions for inner-city education, economic improvement and treatment for addicts would be so boring.

I guess it’s easier to utilize the existing defense resources than to set up a complex, legal import-licensing-distribution organization.

As for Mr. Flanigan’s opinion that “this time the users wouldn’t be adult drinkers but kids,” what on earth makes him think a legally controlled system would permit sales to minors?

MARY LOU WHITMORE

Brentwood