No matter how many people we arrest, pot is still easier to buy for high school students than beer. Keeping marijuana illegal does not benefit our children. It benefits special interest groups: the alcoholic beverage industry, the prison industry, police departments, government bureaucrats, and drug cartels.

Tell your legislators in Sacramento to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana. Visit yes390.org

one more reason the state/country is broke, we spend money trying to bury a gold mine. Good thing no one was there, because there would have been another one of those embarrassing chases where the perps run right past the huffing and puffing cops, like last time. This whole dope policy is disgraceful, and Mike Thompson, Boxer and Feinstien are all AWOL on the issue, ditto Wiggins and cheesebag chesbro.

If they weren't "waisting" money on this they would curtainly be waisting it somewhere else. At least they are taking a cash buisiness from a non taxpayer who is supplying an illegal substance to not only so called "sick people" but also our youth. Not to mention the damage done to our public lands. You should actually be angry at these growers for hurting your cause and yet you try to justify their greed with your own addictions. Sure, legalize it. That would solve some of these problems. But not to have enforcement, that would be beyond insanity.

In the short run, there is nothing that would prevent law enforcement from adopting a more targeted policy, just as they set priorities in other areas. The more environmentally sound operations sans firearms and booby traps would be given a pass while they would come down hard on dirt bag operations. This would create an incentive for other fly by night growers to change their procedures to avoid eradication losses.

stop enforcement BEFORE they legalize it as that would be nuts, I'm just saying that this is a VERY lost cause and the LC cops ALWAYS have very low plant-per-perp-capture rates, the stats don't lie.

First and foremost let me state: I am for the legalization of Marijuana throughout the United State. I do think that in my lifetime possessing this plant will become commonplace. Now with that said, I also want to make it clear (at least from my experience) that no matter how legal Marijuana becomes, the types of grows being seized will continue and increase. These (illegal) grows are not for John Q Pot-smoker. These grows are a continuing criminal enterprise whose profits and product are sent south to Mexico where the money is used to produce much more dangerous drugs, and/or to arm those "Cartels, gangs," who invade your land(s) every grow season. Do you really think that these "Growers" really care about paying a tax to a government it does not recognize; let alone care about polluting our environment to further their business? Yes... I have a law enforcement background. My former career started in the south. The first search warrant that I ever wrote was for an illegal corn mash distillery. Prohibition ended in the 1930's. I believe I have made my point.

'interested' - the Cartels ARE selling to John Q. Public to fund the coke & crank franchises. John Q would much rather buy his weed from a place where he doesn't have to worry about the deal goin' down wrong. Like in a store-where they collect taxes. Use said tax money to focus on crank & coke. Cannabis is nothing more than job security for a certain segment in the public payroll sector. No worries about layoffs if you crack down on the crackster/cranksters. How many decades has our "War On Drugs" gone on? It's unwinnable if we continue to do the same things expecting different results i.e. the definition of insanity.

Rather than get drawn into an argument with you I will simply ask you the question that I posted earlier. Do you really think that the illegal mass production growers are going to care about paying taxes ie. the legalization of marijuana? Really??? I don't care about average Joe purchasing his weekly allotment. Go for it. And lastly as far as cutting jobs, take a look to the east and you will see a local government department (here in California) that has had to cut over two hundred sworn peace officer positions and they do not have nearly as much of an illegal marijuana growing problem. I agree... the war has been unwinable. I never cared about people using whatever drug they wanted. I cared when the "drug user" stole from his/her neighbor/family to fuel his addiction.

this way - you can buy a quart of booze in the store legally for $25 or you can buy a quart of 'shine for $50. Are you going to pay the $25 plus tax in a safe atmosphere or the $50 no tax in an unsafe atmosphere? Decriminalization and regulation will kneecap the cartels and give us our National Forests back. I am glad we agree it is unwinnable. The only ones that don't seem to reside in Wash DC where reality has never been an impediment to them.

Donna....The Pot is really getting to your head now. Most desperate kids would pay the $50 to buy the illigal "shine" rather than risk getting caught buying the legal booze. Same would be true about pot. Interested hits the nail on the head when they say legalizing pot will not stop the illigal grows.