Pubdate: Fri, 23 Dec 2016
Source: Peninsula News Review (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Black Press
Contact:  http://www.vicnews.com/eeditions/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1373
Author: Ian Cameron

TAKING FROM MY POCKETS

Let me start by saying that I am in favour of making illegal drugs
legal, provided they are given to registered addicts in regulated
doses to be used in situ. The addict arrives at the clinic (or opium
den, or whatever you want to call it); shows his/her photo permit;
gets the dose in a needle; and either uses it or is injected by an
employee. I don't care whether he/she pays or not. If the
feds/province/municipality buys the stuff from the producer, with no
middleman (sorry, middle person), the cost per dose will be about 50
cents. Chump change.

What I cannot support is what is taking place now. Out of my left
pocket, some government (and I don't give a damn whether it's the
federal, provincial, or local bunch) takes my money to fight the 'war
on drugs', by having: cops run investigations; prosecutors do whatever
they do; the courts spend huge amounts of money in trials, including
providing defense for the accused (all on my dime); appeals; prison;
parole; and then it happens all over again.

Out of my right pocket, the same bunch provides: housing for the
addicts; a place to use their illegal drugs (bought at a huge price
from illegal salesmen (sorry, salespersons); and essentially immunity
from prosecution ("It's not their fault, they can't help it.")

And the worst part is that the cops (and the Canadian Navy) preen when
they make a major drug bust. Do they think that helps? What it does is
raise the street price, so the addicts have to commit more crimes to
buy the drugs so they can inject them at a safe site, all paid for by
me.

Ian Cameron, Brentwood Bay
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MAP posted-by: Matt