[Mpls] Stop blaming marijuana for violence

[Laura and lloyd]

Wizard makes a good point. Others have argued that the millions tied up 
in law enforcement, prison space, rehab, tons of literature, and 
prevention education would suffer under legal marijuana. And it is 
likely true that drug dealers doing exclusive business in marijuana are 
the rare birds of the trade. Everyone diversifies to broaden the 
customer and return business base.

So both law enforcement and illicit sellers gain from continuing the 
status quo.

Legal marijuana will have its own enterprises in rehab, counseling, 
lawyers in court over driving while high cases, and the likely billion 
dollar industry of growing, processing, and distributing marijuana for 
the market.

The players change but the profits are still there. Its a win win.

Best wishes,

Laura

On Monday, May 2, 2005, at 07:33  PM, wmmarks wrote:
>
> The trade in illegal drugs is not the trade of the 60s. It's grown up 
> tremendously and is now a corporate enterprise. Separating out 
> marijuana from cocaine and heroine and whatever else, from a legal and 
> police practice paradigm will be a complex business to accomplish. 
> Whether we agree or not, there are maybe millions of jobs tied up in 
> the war on drugs with FBI, ATF, DEA, city police, county sheriffs, on 
> and on, seemingly forever.
>
> What I can't see, ultimately, is how to untangle such a construction 
> except to legalize it and tax the juice out or it.


Laura Waterman Wittstock
Minneapolis, MN
612-387-4915
www.laurawatermanwittstock.com
http://laurawatermanwittstock.blogspot.com/