Editor: In response to S. Rathwell (letter to the editor; Weed Can Help Our Economy in The Daily Courier on May 17). Pot production might bring a few jobs, but the damage to our social fabric would heavily outweigh any gain.

Marijuana is currently a leading cause of substance dependence, and, if legalized, the increase in users and addiction would be large and rapid. Legal, recreational pot use is not a safe way to relax. It is a psycho-active, addictive substance that affects our youth in a very negative way.

Marijuana is the most commonly abused drug around the world. Those who support its legalization for recreational use fail to recognize that the greatest costs of weed are not related to its prohibition; they are the costs resulting from marijuana use itself.

Shelley Eberle, Penticton

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