Pubdate: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2003, Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: http://www.fyitoronto.com/torsun.shtml Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457 Author: Nola Crewe Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor, headline by newshawk LEGALIZE IT RE YOUR Feb. 24 editorial: Decriminalizing marijuana, rather than legalizing it, makes no sense. If the goal is to eliminate wasted police hours and to avoid criminal records for an activity that few Canadians believe criminal, then surely a further goal should be to eliminate the direct link to international criminals. What is frightening is not the smoking, it's having criminals hanging around our schoolyards and the flaunting of law. Let the LCBO take over the sale and distribution of marijuana. Let the taxpayer benefit from taxes on the sale and from reduced medical costs when the product smoked is not adulterated with other drugs or substances. It would be a win/win. Let's break the chain between pot smokers and organized crime. Nola Crewe (But if the legal age is 19, same as tobacco cigarettes, won't criminals still be hanging around the schoolyard?) - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom