Pubdate: Fri, 12 Sep 2014
Source: Journal-Pioneer, The (CN PI)
Copyright: 2014 Journal-Pioneer
Contact:  http://www.journalpioneer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2789
Author: Gary Naylor
Page: A6

ONLY ONE SIDE OF THE STORY

To the Editor,

Island Liberal MP Sean Casey's interview on CBC last week was
lawyer-like in content, stressing only one side of an argument, namely
the early results of Colorado's recent legalization, $77 million in
tax revenues and the seeming disappearance of criminal gang
involvement in the marijuana portion of the drug trade.

As an MP I feel he had an obligation to also have stressed, but
utterly failed to do so, that of course a substantial portion of that
$77 million in taxes as well as the cost of the marijuana would have
come from individuals dependant on the drug to the point that the
welfare of their families in terms of food, rent and mortgages may
have suffered; that many of the now more numerous "users" would go on
to harder drugs in which the criminal element "would" be involved, and
that no doubt as the health care system on P.E.I. has found, many of
these users would become addicts who seek the help of expensive
counselling and medicinal drugs in recovery attempts.

I would also add that a thinking Member of Parliament would have
pointed out that there would undoubtedly be many future studies
required in Colorado if highway accident rates increased and if
mandatory testing on an ongoing basis of people whose jobs require
complete abstinence from drug use was or would be a further drain on
health care.

Gary Naylor, Victoria West
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MAP posted-by: Matt