Pubdate: Sat, 26 Jan 2002
Source: Daily News, The (CN NS)
Copyright: 2002 The Daily News
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/halifax/dailynews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/179
Author: J. Mackenzie

DRUG EFFORT NEEDS TO BE RE-EXAMINED

To the editor:

With all of the crimes that go unpunished here in Halifax municipality, it 
is a real shame to see the time and resources expended by law enforcement 
on prosecuting marijuana users and growers.

 From surveillance, to raids and arrests, court proceedings and 
incarceration, this is a tremendous waste of time and money for something 
that should not even be considered a crime in the eyes of the law. At the 
same time the Government of Canada is doling out weed to various parties, 
they are sending everyday, ordinary people to jail for possessing the 
social drug. This is just wrong.

Alcohol is more of a social problem than marijuana and yet, once again, 
Nova Scotia remains in the Dark Ages while the rest of the world moves 
ahead with proactive legislation to decriminalize the possession and use of 
pot.

Let's divert some of these same resources to combat the crack dealers, the 
cocaine dealers, organized crime and individuals who defraud the system and 
end up costing all the honest people their hard-earned money.

It's time for "forward-looking" law enforcement!

J. Mackenzie

Timberlea
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