Pubdate: Thu, 29 Aug 2002
Source: See Magazine (CN AB)
Copyright: 2002 SEE Magazine
Contact:  http://www.seemagazine.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2367
Author: Chuck Beyer

COPS LOVE POT... ENFORCEMENT

Editor, SEE:

So the Canadian Association of Police Boards denounced the legalization of 
illicit drugs, including marijuana. Not much of a surprise really. 
According to the federal auditor general's report last year, the federal 
government alone spent $500 million on prohibition.

Also, according to Statistics Canada there are 56,020 police officers in 
Canada. Let's assume that $100 million goes to lawyers and courts and the 
rest goes to the police. That leaves about $8000 a year for each officer. 
Assuming an average wage of $50,000, this means 16 percent of each police 
officer's paycheque derives from drug prohibition.

Without prohibition we could do without 20 per cent of those police 
officers and we could hire more doctors, nurses and teachers instead.

When you hear organizations such as the Canadian Association of Police 
Boards denounced the legalization of illicit drugs, keep in mind there is a 
big conflict of interest and that they are primarily looking after their own.

Chuck Beyer
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MAP posted-by: Beth