Las Vegas Sun

November 9, 2009

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Letter: Legalizing pot makes sense

Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2004 | 9:03 a.m.

What is a state such as Nevada doing fighting the adult use of marijuana? What is the city of Las Vegas doing trying to combat prostitution?

In either case, the effort is futile and violations of the respective statutes will continue unabated. Law enforcement officials and state legislators want more money for services. How much money is being wasted here, in an elaborate game of cops and robbers? Regulated prostitution offers the opportunity to control and license businesses and to tax them on revenues received. A tax on marijuana, and control over where it is sold, provides a legitimate outlet for a regulated product.

Right now the street is the outlet of choice, where there is no control, anything goes, health risks abound, criminals make handsome profits and we waste precious law enforcement dollars and lose tax revenue that could be put to good advantage.

Don't ask me for money to put more cops on the street while the attorney general's office and the local prosecutors waste our money here in Sin City.

ERIC STEFIK

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