Pubdate: Tue, 13 May 2003 Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2003, Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: http://www.canoe.com/NewsStand/TorontoSun/home.html Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457 Author: Adrian Spiering Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor, headline by newshawk ELIMINATE UNDERGROUND SUPPLIERS BY LEGALIZING RE MP Dan McTeague's Letter of the Day (May 12): I am a resident of McTeague's riding and would like to impress on him the reason for needing to change Canada's pot laws. It is because the police in his riding are arresting and charging youths for carrying as little as 0.1 or 0.2 grams of marijuana, leaving otherwise law-abiding people with records that can serve no other purpose than to close doors for a good portion of their lives. As for the gang and/or organized crime element, Al Capone was a product of Prohibition. If alcohol had not been made illegal, there would have been no market for his bootleg booze. The same rules apply today. Eliminate the need for underground suppliers by legalizing. Who would you rather have for a neighbour, an occasional pot smoker or a biker gang operating a grow house? Anyone care to choose? Adrian Spiering Ajax (Legalization would create a whole new set of problems) - --- MAP posted-by: Alex