Washington Hearing on Marijuana Law

Re “U.S. Considers ‘Deputizing’ Police for Marijuana Cases,” Dec. 3:

Am I the only one horrified that a rogue four-star general, known throughout this alleged democracy as our “drug czar,” is actively doing everything in his power to circumvent California state law, even going so far as to create a national police state by federalizing local law enforcement? Or that a zealous senator from Utah is holding hearings in our own nation’s capital with the same illegal intention? And all under the insulting auspices that we the (ignorant) people have been duped into passing the medical marijuana initiative.

I’m willing to give Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and drug czar Barry McCaffrey the benefit of the doubt and believe that they mean well. Perhaps it is these men who have been “duped” by the drug war establishment into believing the only solution is to continue this nation’s failed drug policies. If that’s the case, allow me to paraphrase John Lennon and help clarify what California voters are seeking:

All we are saying is give drug peace a chance!

J. DAVID MILES

Playa del Rey

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Regarding Hatch’s comments on California’s and Arizona’s recently passed marijuana initiatives: Is growing marijuana in fields “near” schools any different from brewing beer in Van Nuys, “near” schools? And a responsible school bus driver would not and should not drive a bus under the influence of marijuana just as he should not drive under the influence of legally prescribed codeine or antihistamines. Hatch and the other politicians debating this law should stick to the relevant facts and not waste our time discussing paranoid fantasies.

JEFFREY BECK

Los Angeles

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Instead of complaining, McCaffrey and his friends should thank their lucky stars for Prop. 215’s passage: Now they have something to blame for the failure of the drug war.

JEREMY ANDERSON

Costa Mesa