Pubdate: Sun, 25 Sep 2011
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2011 Linda Hatcher
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
Website: http://www.theprovince.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Linda Hatcher
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v11/n594/a09.html

LEGALIZE POT -- A MUCH LESS DAMAGING DRUG THAN ALCOHOL

I would just like to comment on Susan Einarsson's letter in 
Thursday's Province.

After working 31 years as a 911 operator/Vancouver police dispatcher, 
I very heartily concur with her opinion that marijuana should be 
legalized. I would love to see some government money spent on a 
survey to capture statistics on what percentage of crimes involve the 
perpetrators being fuelled by alcohol -- the "legal" drug.

The amount of grief, harm and permanent damage caused to families and 
individuals due to someone's decision to "have a couple of drinks" is 
stunning. I am not saying that marijuana is the perfect social drug 
either. But it seems that since the majority of people in our culture 
are no longer capable of relaxing and enjoying themselves without 
some type of stimulant (or depressant, as in alcohol), marijuana 
would be the lesser of the two evils. I may be naive in assuming that 
Stephen Harper's intent with the new crime bill is to service the 
best interests of public safety. Unfortunately, I am of the "old 
school" who believe that if you want to know if a politician is 
lying, just watch his lips. If they're moving, he's lying.

Linda Hatcher,

Langley
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