Pubdate: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 Source: San Gabriel Valley Tribune (CA) Copyright: 2008 San Gabriel Valley Tribune Contact: http://www.sgvtribune.com/writealetter Website: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3725 Author: Jay Bergstrom Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n1022/a08.html MISSING THE REVENUE I am a graduate of Arroyo High School, Class of 1969. This is regarding the news article in your newspaper "Record year for pot seizures": In order to send the correct message to our young people, we have forsaken a billion dollars in tax revenue. The $14 billion marijuana crop harvested by Los Angeles County this season, taxed at 7.25 percent would have yielded more than a billion dollars in revenue. And that is only the detected portion of the crop. Cannabis is by far the leading cash crop in California, and the nation as well. What drives this profitability? Why prohibition, of course. The failed and utterly disproven notion of prohibition reaps its reward. Jay Bergstrom Forest Ranch, CA - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin