ILLEGAL DRUGS BENEFIT DEA: Aspen Times: Published LTE June 10, 2011
Posted June 19th, 2011 by hiwayhowieILLEGAL DRUGS BENEFIT DEA
Dear Editor:
As a retired detective I thank you for the excellent op-ed on drug prohibition/war on drugs ( “Who thinks Aspen’s just like Pakistan? The DEA, of course,” Andy Stone, June 8, 2011, The Aspen Times ).
Yes, the DEA is mostly concerned about losing their paycheck. They know better than anyone that police efforts are equal to a mosquito on the butt of an elephant.
Most street cops privately agree that we should treat marijuana like beer. Their command officers, however, know that without prohibition, our profession will lose about $12 billion in good overtime and job security. Thus, they blackmail politicians to keep the money rolling in by threatening them with loss of political support.
It is a sad picture indeed.
Howard Wooldridge
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