Pubdate: Tue, 28 Nov 2000
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2000 The Province
Section: Talk Back: We Asked You
Contact:  200 Granville Street, Ste. #1, Vancouver, BC V6C 3N3 Canada
Fax: (604) 605-2323
Website: http://www.vancouverprovince.com
Authors: John MacGougan, Fae Johnstone, Kyle Langlois, Hilary Breeze, Jane 
Mason, Dave Stewart, Sean Howard
Note: Subject line by MAP
Cited: The Vancouver Island Compassion Society http://www.thevics.com/
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1743/a08.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1801/a11.html

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE VANCOUVER ISLAND COMPASSION SOCIETY
GETTING BUSTED FOR PACKING POT?

It's an absolutely ridiculous waste of taxpayers' money. And it's
unfortunate the police are wasting their time when there are much
bigger issues out there.

Sean Howard,
Squamish

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The police are extremely lazy in going to bust an almost-legal
operation when they could be looking for the illegal people who are
stealing hydro and all that.

Instead, they go get somebody who they know already has pot and is
trying to do this as legally as possible.

It's a sad day for the Victoria cops.

Dave Stewart,
Vancouver

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Definitely decriminalize marijuana for people who medicinally need it.
My uncle is on morphine in the later stages of cancer.

What is with a government that would deny him marijuana that would
help him with his appetite? It's just a joke. If people need it
medicinally, then give it to them. They're so free with their demerol
and morphine and other kinds of painkillers, so it just doesn't make
sense.

Jane Mason,
Langley

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What the police did is unfortunate. It's unfortunate that the
compassion club legitimately calls in a break-and-enter and gets
treated this way. It's time for the public to voice this concern
clearly so the police are not always getting stuck in the middle --
between the law and what the people want.

Hilary Breeze,
Vancouver

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They should just legalize it because the cops have better stuff to
worry about than just a plant -- like murders and break-ins and stuff.

Kyle Langlois,
Vancouver

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I'm against what the Victoria police did, and we should make marijuana
legal.

Fae Johnstone,
Vancouver

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It takes a lot of time to find the bigger fish to fry. In the
meantime, we've got to keep the system operating. You've got to keep
the courts busy and people earning income. It's a justification for
jobs on the taxpayers' payroll. So the system wants to have these
small-time drug people pulled through the courts.

John MacGougan,
Surrey
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake