Pubdate: Thu, 15 Jan 2009 Source: Parksville Qualicum Beach News (CN BC) Copyright: 2009 Black Press Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/5ZThWm9Z Website: http://drugsense.org/url/3xEEhi0m Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1361 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n039/a07.html Author: Stan White POT TAXES LOST Tom Fletcher's article entitled, B.C. Losing War On Drug Gangs, (The News, Jan. 12), isn't just accurately describing the way things are. He's describing the direction things are moving, too. In the early 1970's the Le Dain Commission report, along with Canada's 2002, Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs' report recommended to regulate marijuana the same way as alcohol. Cannabis will be cultivated and it will increase, rather than decrease. Except for those who profit, nearly every person who uses cannabis would prefer to acquire it from regulated sources but all will purchase it in the black market if necessary. It's just a matter of who consumers give their money to. Right now they are ready, willing, able and eager to give it to regulated sources, along with its share of taxes to government, but if government doesn't want it, the money is changing hands either way. Stan White Dillon, Colorado - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake