Pubdate: Thu, 26 Aug 2004
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2004, Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact:  http://www.fyiottawa.com/ottsun.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329
Author: Russell Barth
Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor, headline by newshawk

LEGALIZATION AND REGULATION NEEDED

Re "Kingston cops root out pot plantation" (Aug. 21):

Congratulations to the Kingston police for single-handedly winning the
drug war. Now that those 7,000 plants have all been cut down, there
will be no more pot available anywhere on Canadian streets, our
relations with the U.S. will be repaired, and we can all sleep well at
night knowing that all the gangs have been rounded up. In case you
haven't guessed, I am being sarcastic.

I can't blame the cops, really. It isn't their fault that they have to
do "garden duty." It is our idiotic Liberal government that has them
on this wild goose chase because it won't legalize and regulate
cannabis and put an end to this nonsense.

Legalization and regulation of cannabis is what a large majority of
Canadians want (not just the pot users, I might add), and it would
give the police more time and money to stop real crimes. It would also
settle this medical marijuana fiasco that Health Canada has going, and
has recently brought so much embarrassment to the good people of
Smiths Falls.

Russell Barth

Ottawa

(Well, they'll run the medical marijuana issue as well as they handle
the rest of health care ...) 
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MAP posted-by: Josh