Pubdate: Sun, 06 Aug 2006 Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU) Copyright: 2006 The Gazette, a division of Southam Inc. Contact: http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274 Author: Bill Parker Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1011/a07.html?242511 NEW USE FOR FAMILY FARMS Re: "Useful tool on the war on drugs" (Editorial, Aug. 2). When the police's new front line of defence amounts to relying on snitches and property searches without warrants - in other words, fishing expeditions - you know the war on drugs is over and the criminals have won. Gang-controlled marijuana is more abundant, of better quality and cheaper than ever before. Instead of giving small farms $550 million in handouts because they can't compete with large factory farms ("Family farms cost us all too much," Editorial Aug. 2), let only farms up to a certain size grow legal marijuana to sell in the liquor stores. That would deal a blow to organized crime, make pot sales to minors more difficult, generate millions of tax dollars and free up precious police resources to combat real crimes. Bill Parker, Val des Lacs - --- MAP posted-by: Derek