Pubdate: Tue, 12 Sep 2017
Source: Intelligencer, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2017, The Belleville Intelligencer
Contact: http://www.intelligencer.ca/letters
Website: http://www.intelligencer.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2332
Author: Larry Comeau
Page: B2

LEGALIZATION IS THE EASY PART

One thing for sure, in releasing these pot rules before any other
province, Premier Kathleen Wynne is showing how anxious she is to get
her hands on this 'new revenue tool' to fund her insatiable spending
addiction.

Rules are one thing, but enforcing them will be nightmarish for the
police, that will need to run around with gram scales to ensure nobody
has more than allowable personal use marijuana. Saying nobody under 19
can buy or process pot is easy, but we all know the success the
province has had keeping legalized alcohol and cigarettes out of the
hands of our young people.

Trudeau has indicated anyone can grow four plants, which will be
virtually impossible to police. Anyone, including Wynne who thinks
organized crime will not quickly become involved in growing and
selling illegal marijuana, as it has in Colorado and Washington
States, are living in a fantasy land.

We hear little concern from the premier of the added stress legalizing
this drug will cause our ailing healthcare system, already overloaded
with dealing with the opioid crises, and now having to treat new
marijuana addicts. In Colorado there has been a rush on ER rooms, as
children are getting marijuana, especially getting into their parents'
edible forms. Nor do we hear about the need for additional police
officers, because of the increase of impaired drivers on our highways
with still no simple roadside test and to fight organized crime
intrusion into the marijuana market.

Once legalized marijuana hits Canadians streets, Wynne's joy over the
expected windfall may quickly dissipate as the unexpected consequences
start showing up. As Colorado officials have warned Trudeau,
legalization is the easy part, everything that comes thereafter is
much more difficult.

Larry Comeau, Ottawa
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MAP posted-by: Matt