Pubdate: Fri, 23 Dec 2011
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2011 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
Website: http://www.theprovince.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476

BACKCHAT

A call by a group of B.C. health officials to support the cause of
marijuana legalization drew generally favourable reviews from Province
readers, who say the so-called war on drugs has failed.

WIN, WIN

With legalization, revenues to the government would increase, as
opposed to the enforcement to eliminate it, which costs more money.
The U.S. would probably be able to reduce their debt by billions, and
Canada would also have new revenue coming in. Pot users would be
happier, the government would be richer, with less debt. Legalize pot
now.

TAX IT

Legalize it. Tax it. Give the tax profits to the medical
system.

GATEWAY DRUG

Yeah, let's legalize it, then the gangs can focus on the real drugs
like meth. With pot legal, it would be great to sprinkle meth in
joints and give them to kids because, hey, it's just a little pot.
Then, when everyone gets hooked on meth, we can legalize that, too,
because it will cost way too much for enforcement. Pot is the biggest
gateway drug around. Give your head a shake, people.

PUSH PHARMA OUT

Legalize it so we can put big pharma out of business.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Legalizing it will have little or no impact on the black market with
regards to availability. What it will do, as Amsterdam showed, will
bring down the street price. Supply and demand: With a legal sup-ply,
the availability will drive the prices down. Legalize it so I don't
have to pay so damn much!

BATTLE LOST

The fact is the war has failed. Pot is everywhere. Gangs are getting
rich, people are getting killed, kids can get it anywhere, houses are
being destroyed. We are throwing away many millions of dollars
fighting it, all caused by prohibition, not the drug itself.

SOCIAL HARM

Prohibition has never worked. From alcohol to weed, all across the
drug spectrum, making a substance illegal creates social harm, such as
increased gang violence and artificially inflated costs due to the
black market. We need Harper and company to seek treatment for the
rectal-cranial inversion they suffer from.

MORE TROUBLE

Pot has been responsible for many deaths along the way. I have heard
the same lame arguments for legalization since the '60s. Man, alcohol,
tobacco and gambling are legal. See any problems society has with
those? Legal pot will create more problems than it will solve. Bet on
it.

Join the conversation at: theprovince.com/opinion 
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MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.