Published LTE – Wall Street Journal – DRUG WAR: A DESTRUCTIVE, IMMORAL DOMESTIC POLICY

In regard to your March 17 editorial “Murder in Mexico”: As a police detective who worked the trenches of our failed modern Prohibition-like war on drugs, I experienced firsthand the fact that the strategy has been the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral domestic policy since slavery and Jim Crow.  Americans are loathe to admit this policy has been a mistake, even after 40 years of failure and a trillion tax dollars spent.  However, Rep.  Ron Paul favors repealing drug prohibition and he was a candidate for president ( and raised a ton of money ).  He is now a force in Republican politics.

You state that drug use would rise with a legal, regulated market.  Besides a business and finance expert, are you also a doctor, board-certified in addiction psychiatry? I have spoken to eight such doctors and they state that almost no one would start using heroin, crack or methamphetamines just because it became legal.  Most Americans are not that stupid.

Howard Wooldridge

Drug Policy Specialist

Citizens Opposing Prohibition

Washington