Finn Selander, AZ I See It 

Former DEA agent: After a career of taking weed off the streets, I now know our efforts could have been better spent.


I was a warrior in the war on drugs.

I spent 20 years fighting the flow of drugs into America, including 18 years as a DEA special agent. As a special agent, I helped spearhead the Drug Enforcement Administration’s marijuana efforts in Florida and New Mexico before retiring.

I spent a lifetime’s work in law enforcement, mostly centered on stanching the flow drugs into America, and  have come to one conclusion: I don’t believe marijuana should be illegal.

Yes, despite a career spent trying to take marijuana off our streets – targeting low-level drug dealers, mom-and-pop grow operations, mega-growers and foreign drug traffickers – I realize our tax dollars and law enforcement resources could have been better spent.

While I believe I did a good job during my time in the DEA, I have come to the conclusion the war on marijuana has been a wasted effort and should end. In Arizona, we have a chance in November to do just that.

Why prohibition doesn't work

I support the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol because it is long past time to end prohibition and allow adults to safely and legally use marijuana.

I can speak freely only now because I am retired. I worked with many colleagues who have similar views but must keep quiet for fear of retribution.

Prohibition of marijuana just hasn’t worked to reduce its use. Marijuana is readily available to anyone who wants it, easy to produce and used typically in the privacy of a home. But here's another important reason to legal the drug: We get to control and regulate the growth and purchase of marijuana from reputable dispensaries, and take it out of the hands of the otherwise unstoppable drug cartels.

Legal marijuana: Pros and cons
Should Arizona legalize recreational marijuana use?