Pubdate: Tue, 11 Nov 2003
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2003, Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact:  http://www.fyiottawa.com/ottsun.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329
Author: Chris Hagglund
Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor, headline by newshawk

LEGALIZE AND REGULATE MARIJUANA

RE "LETTER to the Editor," by Jay Hunter (Nov. 5): No, editor, Hunter's 
argument is not an oversimplification, as your snide parenthetical 
one-liner has it. It simply cuts right to the heart of the issue.

The two million Canadian pot smokers are buying their pot from black market 
sources, and the only way to make us stop is to legalize marijuana. That's 
right, legalize and regulate, and probably even tax the stuff too, so that 
we wont be supporting organized criminals anymore, and so that little 
Johnny will at least have to present some ID along with that wad of cash 
before he can buy his reefers.

Making growing "risky" by prohibiting pot leads to expensive marijuana, 
stolen hydro, gangland violence, unregulated pot, kids having easier access 
to pot than to booze and widespread disrespect for the law.

Chris Hagglund

(Keeping pot illegal may be the greater of two evils, but we take the idea 
that legalizing it will make it harder for kids to get with a very large 
helping of salt)
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman