Pubdate: Wed, 09 Nov 2005
Source: Maple Ridge News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Maple Ridge News
Contact:  http://www.mapleridgenews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1328
Author: Dan Banov
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05.n1735.a08.html

ELIMINATE DRUG PROHIBITION LAWS

Editor, the News:

Re: We need more treatment centres (Letters, Nov. 2).

In response to Loring Anderson's call for more treatment centres and
less support, I agree.

Supply of drugs to addicts is a desperate, misguided enabling effort
to deal with a critical problem. Efforts are needed to prioritize
prevention before treatment and, certainly, supporting drug use.

The first step to prevention is to eliminate prohibition laws. Making
drugs illegal makes it difficult to control. So long as marijuana and
other drugs are illegal, we will have entrepreneurs using whatever way
they can to sell their wares. It is much easier for youth to buy
marijuana than cigarettes, which do not have high-pressured sales
forces. They do not have a sale force that will kill to increase
market sales.

Smoking is decreasing while others drug use increases. Why? Legalize
drugs and you can control its use, sale and safety. Seventy years ago
we had prohibition of alcohol. Can we not learn from history?

Dan Banov, Federal Marijuana Party candidate

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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin