Pubdate: Sat, 07 Jan 2012
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Allan Winks
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html
Website: http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Allan Winks

JUST LEGALIZE DRUGS AND SEE BENEFITS

Your editorial "After ecstasy, more bad drugs" (Jan. 5) was 
interesting for its content and for what it omitted. The drugs 
mentioned have been around for a long time and at the beginning of 
the 20th century were readily available and quite legal. Yet, here we are.

Recreational drug use is as old as mankind. Prohibition is not going 
to change us or our habits, but it will, and does, fill our prisons.

We do have a choice; we can legalize the sale and control the 
distribution of these drugs as we do tobacco and alcohol. This would 
enable us to stop pushers, collect taxes and monitor quality.

 From the death of a patient in a hospital in Abbotsford, I am now 
aware of "hallway health care," and from your newspaper last week I 
learned of an elderly female patient who was sexually assaulted by a 
male who was sharing her room while under VIHA's care. Our level of 
health care, in my experience, rates as comparable to some "less 
developed" countries, and the reason given is lack of funding.

And yet, from your newspaper, I learn that the funds are available 
for the use of a military helicopter to search for marijuana plants 
from the air.

Indeed, there is nothing cool about being a corpse, just as there is 
nothing cool about pursuing a policy that exacerbates the present 
situation where an outrageous amount of money and effort is spent 
with no hope of achieving the stated goals.

Allan Winks

Nanoose Bay
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D