Pubdate: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2008 The Province Contact: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: Kirk Muse THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM The only way to deal with drug gangs and the violence they create is to put them out of business. The only way to do this is to regulate, control and tax the products they deal in. And this can only be accomplished with legalization, as only legal products can be regulated, controlled and taxed by any government. The drug-war cheerleaders will claim that legalizing illegal drugs will be giving in to the drug dealers and drug lords. But when the U. S. legalized alcohol in 1933 we didn't give in to the alcohol cartels, we put them out of business. Arresting and jailing the head of a drug cartel has the same effect as cutting off the top of a weed; it will grow back stronger than ever. The only way to get rid of any weed is to kill the root -- and the root of the drug problem is prohibition. Kirk Muse, Mesa, Ariz. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom