Pubdate: Sat, 06 Oct 2012
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Times Colonist
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html
Website: http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Ian Skinner
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v12/n487/a09.html

DECRIMINALIZING POT PROVIDES BENEFITS

Re: "Decriminalizing pot won't solve problems," Sept. 28.

So let me get this straight: The author of this letter believes that
we should keep marijuana illegal to help criminals stay busy with
their illegal activities, otherwise they'll be forced to move onto
bigger ones, and we'll see a "sharp rise in human misery"?

This writer incorrectly claims that the European countries that have
legalized pot have found the exercise to be a large failure.

First, no European country has legalized the possession of marijuana;
at best, a few have decriminalized it. Second, there is plenty of
evidence to support the claim that decriminalization of marijuana
possession provides benefits to those countries.

In the past few years, for example, the Netherlands has had to close
down prisons due to a plummeting crime rate.

According to a 2009 report from the Cato Institute: "Since Portugal 
enacted its decriminalization scheme in 2001, drug usage in many 
categories has actually decreased when measured in absolute terms, 
whereas usage in other categories has increased only slightly or mildly."

But hey, let's keep marijuana illegal. Somebody has to keep the
criminals busy.

Ian Skinner

Victoria
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