Pubdate: Fri, 04 Feb 2005 Source: Langley Advance (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc. Contact: http://www.langleyadvance.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1248 Author: Russell Barth Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n088/a02.html DRUGS: LIBERALS MISGUIDED Dear Editor, Dan Turner of the Young Liberals of Canada in B.C. is terribly misguided if he thinks that the Federal Government's phony decriminalization bill will do anything but up the stakes in the War On Drugs [Justice calls for decriminalization, Jan. 14 Letters to the Editor]. Part of what the Liberals actually like about this bill is that it will draw more people into the criminal justice system. Instead of handing out tens of thousands of busts every year, police will be able to hand out millions of tickets. This will clog the courtrooms, and likely fill our jails with "non payment of fines" offenders. Does Mr. Turner think that is an improvement to the current situation, and if so, how? Furthermore, the bill proposes jailing someone for 14 years for growing pot. Even people who commit armed robbery, aggravated assault, and even incest will draw lesser sentences. The higher risk of growing will make the street price of pot go up, and will attract new people and new technology to the black market to try their luck at the big money available in the pot-growing business. Since everyone already knows that the police can barely catch 15 per cent of the growers they actually know about, how will this new legislation fix the problem? Does Mr. Turner think that is an improvement to the current situation, and if so, how? As we should have learned by the failed alcohol prohibition of the last century, and the decades of wasted money and time in the current drug war, the only way to stop the black market is to legalize, regulate, and tax the business like alcohol and tobacco. Anything less, and that includes the Liberal's proposed legislation, would be criminal. Russell Barth Ottawa - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake