Pubdate: Tue, 03 Mar 2009 Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB) Copyright: 2009 Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: http://www.edmontonsun.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135 Author: Darcy Holden Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n232/a03.html Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor, headline by newshawk LEGALIZE MARIJUANA, NOT HARD DRUGS Regarding Mindy Jacobs's Feb. 27 column on the drug trade. She indicated that Vancouver addictions expert Mark Haden suggested that if recreational drugs were legalized, drug buyers should be registered and tracked. However, alcohol buyers are not registered and tracked, yet alcohol is a drug and is, by far, more destructive to society in pretty much every measurable way. Instead, it would be better to legalize marijuana and sell that in liquor stores and triple or quadruple the penalties for possession or sale of harder drugs such as crack or heroin. That way the government gets its cut on the sale of marijuana (a relatively benign recreational drug), and there would be meaningful deterrents to the use of harder drugs. Darcy Holden (No 'deterrent' can end human desire and addiction.) - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin