Pubdate: Mon, 21 Mar 2005 Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU) Copyright: 2005 The Gazette, a division of Southam Inc. Contact: http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274 Author: Russell Barth Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) BLAME U.S. FOR CANADIAN GROW-OPS Come to think of it, it's the mainly the fault of the United States that we have so many marijuana grow-ops in Canada. The U.S. consumes, and produces, more cannabis than any other country in the world. U.S. pot demand is throwing billions in untaxed dollars at Canadians, while at the same time the U.S. is scorning us for supplying its domestic demand. Responsibility for the misery caused by the "drug war," both in Canada and around the world, falls squarely on the U.S. Maybe we should threaten them with border slowdowns if they don't do something to lower their demand for pot. If Canada were to legalize and regulate cannabis, then licensed growers and sellers would have to account for every gram they produced and sold on the domestic market. This would free up police resources and generate billions in new tax revenue annually. That, in turn, would mean we could actually afford to spend more on increased border security to keep cannabis from going south, and guns and cocaine from coming north. Do we blame the bar or liquor store for someone's alcohol problem? The sporting goods store for sports injuries? Food companies for obesity or diabetes? No, we don't. Then why should Canada be blamed for supplying Americans with a substance that Americans just can't seem to get enough of? Russell Barth Educators for Sensible Drug Policy Ottawa - --- MAP posted-by: Beth