PEOPLE

With Missouri leading the nation in the eradication of marijuana, the Southeast Missourian asked people if the state should significantly increase its efforts to eradicate the illegal cash crop.

Bill Rasmuson: "I think the state should invest more money in doing that, and other states should do so as well. Treatment and counseling should be the first priority, but the second line of offense should be the eradication of all illegal drugs."

Letha Young: "I think they should do whatever they can to clear it out as well as prosecuting the people who are growing it. It should be a high priority, because we have too many kids that are exposed to it. People are making money off of it right and left."

Noel Jordan: "If the state is making a dent in it, then we should increase our efforts. It is working, so if the state is not significantly, that is, 80 to 90 percent, reducing the growth and sale, then it would be worth the effort and the money to continue and increase the effort."

Diana Lawrence: "I think they need to get rid of it the best way that they can, even if that means increasing the funding to do it. You read about people every day getting caught with marijuana, so it is a big problem."

Jennifer Kafka: "I think the state should take a stronger emphasis in the eradication of marijuana. I would not mind seeing more of my tax money going toward this problem. I don't feel that drugs are right and that people are making money off of it."

Dennis Lynn: "We definitely should spend more money on this, because it needs to be wiped out. There is a shortage of manpower in law enforcement. I think that if we had more police officers, maybe we would have less of this kind of problem."