As I read the Oct. 19 article “Alcohol-Free Tent Hosted,” it got me thinking about what a good idea it is.

aving attended many tailgating parties on state owned property, I’ve noticed without fail people abuse alcohol on a regular basis. My thoughts turned to my family, which has a history of alcoholism and diabetes, an awful combination.

In an alleged democratic society, why can’t I smoke marijuana? My family doctor told me after I questioned him I would be far better smoking pot than drinking, even light beer.

Not only would I avoid excessive calories (one beer can throw off my calorie regimen) but also marijuana would aid my developing glaucoma (a side effect of my disease). Why is marijuana illegal?

Nearly 400,000 Americans will die this year from accidents and illnesses related to alcohol and tobacco. Marijuana is no killer: Anheuser Busch and Phillip Morris are!

In fact, medical evidence indicates many foods we commonly consume pose a greater threat to human health than marijuana. Still it remains illegal-consuming more than $5 billion of our tax dollars for law enforcement every year.

Economists, both liberal and conservative, estimate if marijuana were relegalized and regulated, marijuana sales wuld generate $10-15 billion dollars in tax revenue.

This could go a long way toward reducing the deficit. (A government turn around of up to $20 billion). Meanwhile, 400,000 Americans are arrested each year on marijuane charges-85 percent of them for simple possesion.

It’s no wonder our courts are doing out “assembly-line justice” (Chicago Tribune, Oct. 14, 1990) and our jails are overflowing.

Pot users are not criminals, yet federal sentencing guidelines require judges to treat them as such. How can a weed the Lord created be illegal?

The prohibition of alcohol did not work. The war on drugs is immoral. The price of pot has skyrocketed while cocaine prices have fallen. The Cold War has ended, but the War on Drugs has taken its place.

A major problem is for the first time is U.S. history, our government has declared war on its own people. Politicians should take a lesson from the Prohibition era and try education and rehabilitation instead of incarceration.

Propoganda is undemocratic. The real dope menance in this country is sitting behind desks in Washington D.C. Just say no!

Kevin Olis

Political Science

Senior