Editor: We need to seriously consider legalization of illegal substances, as this cannot continue. In countries such as Portugal, statistics show overdoses, crime and addiction rates decreased following legalization. With fewer arrests and lifelong sentences, some prisons became so vacant that they were refurbished to apartments and living quarters. These could be used by low income people or those on government assistance, homeless or recovering addicts. Like those in living in RVs on farmland down Gulley Road who need a place to live, this would be perfect for Vancouver and Kelowna with their high rents, lack of housing and the mild climate that many homeless come to (or are sent to) for the winter. [continues 116 words]
Dear Editor: In response to Shelley Eberle's letter of May 20, "marijuana legalization is a bad idea." Contrary to popular belief, usage rates among teenagers were monitored the last few years by Scientific American. After Colorado legalized the recreational use and sale of marijuana, they found rates decreasing from 30 per cent of teens using in 2011 to 21 per cent in 2015. This has also been the case in Washington state as well as Portugal, as after marijuana was decriminalized, both usage and addiction rates decreased. [continues 136 words]
Editor: In response to Shelley Eberle's letter to the editor on May 20, marijuana legalization is a bad idea. Contrary to popular belief, usage rates among teenagers were monitored the last few years by Scientific American. After Colorado legalized the recreational use and sale of marijuana, they found rates decreasing from 30 per cent of teens using in 2011 to 21 per cent in 2015. This has also been the case in Washington state as well as Portugal, as after marijuana was decriminalized, both usage and addiction rates decreased. [continues 137 words]
Editor: This is in response to D. Simpson's letter in The Daily Courier on Monday, May 15, citing Matthew 15:11, "It's not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth." I'm sure that if God looks around the way the world works now, He would have more pressing matters than worrying about a little cannabis, which is a plant and not a drug, as it requires no tampering or time in a lab, unlike grains to make alcohol or poppies to make opium. [continues 173 words]
