Pubdate: Fri, 5 Nov 2010
Source: Chilliwack Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2010 Chilliwack Times
Contact:  http://www.chilliwacktimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1357
Author: Dawn-Marie Tytherleigh

JUST FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE

Editor:

Without elaborating to a huge degree on the controversial issues
surrounding the subject of marijauna like alcohol, it is never going
to go away.

Other than the lucrative outcome for growers there is the factor of
supply and demand. Those who smoke it like it and it has only become
obvious in our society that people don't care if it is illegal and the
growers are making a lot of money, so they are willing to take the
criminal risk of getting caught.

With our ailing economy and the horrendous police and court costs
attached to taking down grow ops, my question is clear: wouldn't it be
way more profitable to legalize marijauna as a controlled substance
within the parameters of government control that could contract
growers to produce the substance and hire people to maintain the
grow-ops, thereby creating jobs? The state of California voted against
legalizing marijauna.

Would this be a solution or would it create more problems? I am not
sure, but my sense is that the battle to continue enforcing pot as an
illegal substance is one of a cat chasing a mouse. I am sure if police
across this country were anonymously questioned as to what degree
legalizing marijuana would solve certain levels of crime associated
with it, the general public would be shocked to learn that cops don't
always agree with the laws they have to enforce.

When something has been illegal as long as pot has and with the major
crimes associated with it, not to mention the petty crimes, it is
doubtful we will ever see the day it becomes legal. This won't change,
on the other hand, the budding population that continues to rebel
against the laws of the land. Like alcohol, people will continue to
seek ways to combat daily stress.

Dawn-Marie Tytherleigh

Chilliwack
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake