Pubdate: Sun, 20 Mar 2005
Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005 The Calgary Sun
Contact:  http://www.fyicalgary.com/calsun.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/67
Author: Alan Randell
Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor, headline by newshawk
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n457/a05.html?36549

LEGALIZING MARIJUANA AN EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE

It's all very well for newspaper editors to get their knickers in a knot 
about reducing the number of marijuana grow-ops, but where is the 
recognition implementing their suggestions will cost a lot of money and 
possibly some of our liberty too? ("Out of control,"March 16.) How much are 
you willing to see your tax bill escalate to build thousands of prisons for 
all those evil marijuana growers you want judges to incarcerate? How easy 
do you want to make it for police to snoop out information about what you 
are doing in the privacy of your home? How many murders of innocent 
bystanders caught in the crossfire between rival gangs are you prepared to 
tolerate as tougher laws consign the marijuana business to hard-core 
criminals? Legalizing marijuana is surely a less-costly alternative and 
unlike your knee-jerk response, an effective one to boot.

Alan Randell

(Grow-ops would not disappear if pot was legalized.)
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom