Legalize it, tax it

I read Leonard Pitts Jr.’s column on July 19 with great interest, not just for the racist aspect but for the war on drugs in general.

I can tell you with absolute honesty that I have never smoked pot or tried any other illegal drug, nor do I desire to. What I do know is that no matter how much we try we are never going to prevent people who want to smoke pot from smoking pot.

While I cannot speak on behalf of other drugs due to lack of knowledge, I can tell you with absolute certainty that the use of marijuana will never die. Our country has been trying in vain for decades to stop people from engaging in this activity, but nothing has happened, and dare I say nothing ever will.

As Mr. Pitts mentioned, just take a look at the alcohol prohibition. Personally, I think we need a paradigm shift. Instead of spending countless dollars and human resources trying to stop them, why don’t we make it legal to grow and smoke pot? Just think of the money we could make by taxing it and the money we could save by leaving otherwise law-abiding citizens alone.

Teresa Seely

Liberty Lake