Money saved by not prosecuting

In reference to the Wednesday letter about the down side of legalizing marijuana. (“Initiative based on many myths.”) I believe what the writer failed to address is the current costs of prosecuting those who partake in the smoking/possessing of marijuana. Even if the state did not make any money on the new law, just imagine the money they would save by legalizing it. Does that not amount to the same thing?

Does anyone really think that people will instead pay outrageous prices for something they can grow in their own yards? The state needs to stay out of the marijuana business, and instead legalize it, and stop wasting money on arrests and prosecution of nickel and dime users.

Linda Varon

Marysville

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

RGB version
Editorial cartoons for Friday, May 9

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Liz Skinner, right, and Emma Titterness, both from Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County, speak with a man near the Silver Lake Safeway while conducting a point-in-time count Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, in Everett, Washington. The man, who had slept at that location the previous night, was provided some food and a warming kit after participating in the PIT survey. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: County had no choice but to sue over new grant rules

New Trump administration conditions for homelessness grants could place county in legal jeopardy.

The Buzz: We have a new pope and Trump shtick that’s getting old

This week’s fashion question: Who wore the papal vestments better; Trump or Pope Leo XIV?

Schwab: Trump isn’t a lawyer, but plays president on TV

Unsure if he has to abide by the Constitution, Trump’s next gig could be prison warden or movie director.

Klein: Trump’s pick of Vance signaled values of his second term

Selecting Vance as his vice president cued all that what mattered now was not just loyalty but sycophancy.

Ask what Trump gets out of his tariffs

Just before Trump’s first election to the presidency, my wife and I… Continue reading

More moderates needed in politics today

It looks like both the MAGA people and the liberal Democrats are… Continue reading

EATS Act would overrides state protections for animals

I urge Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, to oppose the EATS… Continue reading

Scott Peterson walks by a rootball as tall as the adjacent power pole from a tree that fell on the roof of an apartment complex he does maintenance for on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Communities need FEMA’s help to rebuild after disaster

The scaling back or loss of the federal agency would drown states in losses and threaten preparedness.

FILE - This Feb. 6, 2015, file photo, shows a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine on a countertop at a pediatrics clinic in Greenbrae, Calif. Washington state lawmakers voted Tuesday, April 23, 2019 to remove parents' ability to claim a personal or philosophical exemption from vaccinating their children for measles, although medical and religious exemptions will remain. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
Editorial: Commonsense best shot at avoiding measles epidemic

Without vaccination, misinformation, hesitancy and disease could combine for a deadly epidemic.

County Council members Jared Mead, left, and Nate Nehring speak to students on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, during Civic Education Day at the Snohomish County Campus in Everett, Washington. (Will Geschke / The Herald)
Editorial: Students get a life lesson in building bridges

Two county officials’ civics campaign is showing the possibilities of discourse and government.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, May 8

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.