Pubdate: Thu, 12 Oct 2006
Source: Lindsay This Week (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 mykawartha.com, Metroland Printing, Publishing
Contact:  http://www.mykawartha.com/kawarthaNews
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2213
Author: Russell Barth
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

DO AWAY WITH POT-COCAINE TRADE MYTH

Re: OPP survey yields $6.5 million crop

The article states marijuana can be traded pound for pound for 
cocaine on the U.S. drug market.

Just recently, the RCMP admitted that this was an urban myth and 
could not verify that pot was being traded pound for pound with 
cocaine. The notion is absurd anyway, as cocaine is far more 
expensive than pot.

But then, almost everything police have said about marijuana has been 
an exaggeration for decades.

What they don't tell the public is that when they tear out a bunch of 
pot plants, the ones they don't catch become that much more valuable. 
By stopping a handful of growers every year police are not only 
wasting time and taxpayers' money, they are also helping the other 
growers out in a big way.

Not only that, these reports make more people realize that there is a 
very small chance of getting caught, and that there is a ton of cash 
to be made, so that will make even more people start growing next 
year. This will make the cops holler for more money and more 
officers, to do the same thing next year.  And so on.

If we really wanted to stop this expensive, ineffective, gang-subsidy 
program, we would regulate marijuana as we do with alcohol. The fact 
that the government and police refuse to even discuss regulation 
leads me to wonder exactly who or what they are trying to protect.

Russell Barth

Federal Medical Marijuana Licence Holder
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman