POT KEPT ILLEGAL FOR ECONOMIC INTERESTS OF FIRMS, GOVERNMENT

Editor,

"Counterculture"? Seems to me marijuana usage is more mainstream
these days. There are lots of people who indulge in the green, not
saying any names, but governors, professors, M.D.s, organization
officials, law graduates, undergraduates, etc. Hell, there's even a
restaurant designed to tap the pot-smoker market: Cheba Hut. So why
is it illegal?

My notions say it is all about money. There are far too many
big-money firms interested in keeping marijuana illicit - prisons,
pharmacies, and the government, to name a few. All have a stake in
this drug's legal status. The DEA would have to cut out a major
portion of its offices if weed became legal. Prisons would no longer
serve the millions they need to receive their head-count payment from
the government, and prescription drug companies would lose out when
customers realize pot does the job better.

Marijuana's illegal status serves many purposes in the U.S. economy.
Worse, it also adds incentive to violent gang formation south of the
border. I'm sorry, stoners. Legalization is not going to happen
anytime soon. Remember, it's not your fault; it's the government's.

Jeffrey Waldo

UNM student