Pubdate: Sat, 16 Feb 2002
Source: Langley Advance (CN BC)
Copyright: 2002 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.langleyadvance.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1248
Author: Chris Donald
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n090/a05.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n172/a08.html

DRUGS: MARIJUANA LAWS INSANE

Dear Editor,

Thank God the Supreme Court has agreed to hear a Charter challenge of our 
country's insanely expensive, unpopular, and futile laws against marijuana, 
because all the police PR stunts and tactical squad home-invasions in the 
world will have no effect whatsoever on the price, availability, or usage 
rates of such a popular recreational and medicinal herb.

For years, poll after poll has shown that the vast majority of Canadians 
favour either legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana, and no wonder: it 
isn't rocket science to figure out that, with the police advertising 
nation-wide that these home "grow-ops" produce millions of dollars worth of 
marijuana with no education or experience required, grow-ops will remain a 
rapid-growth industry, as distilling alcohol was back in the 'Twenties.

Despite dire predictions to the contrary by police, society did not fall 
apart when alcohol prohibition was just ended one day, and the Dutch and 
Swiss have already proven society will not suffer when we finally wake up 
and end marijuana prohibition.

Instead of police PR stunts whose only benefit is free advertising for 
every Hydroponic Supply store in the country, we need to legalize, 
regulate, control, and most of all, demand proof of age.

The police have better things to do with their time than keep us safe from 
greedy home gardeners.

Chris Donald
Dartmouth, NS
- ---
MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart