WINES AND MARIJUANA SHOULD GET EQUAL TREATMENT

Dear Editor:

In a recent issue, The Enterprise (Business Matters feature section)
reported glowingly on the success of a local farmer/entrepreneur who
had opened a winery in our area. I have visited that winery and
enjoyed its products.

In another section of the paper, you reported not so glowingly on
another local farmer/entrepreneur who had opened a marijuana grow-op
in our area and subsequently was arrested. I have not visited that
establishment, nor do I use the products.

Here's my dilemma. A winery produces a consumer product that contains
a drug that can induce a euphoric state that can result in impaired
judgment. A grow-op produces a consumer product that contains a drug
that can induce a euphoric state that can result in impaired judgment.

Our government permits and encourages the sales of the products of
wineries and makes huge profits. Our government bans and punishes the
sales of the products of a grow-op and suffers huge losses.

Conservative estimates place the profits from the sale of
Ontario-grown marijuana in the billions. A recent article in 'Forbes'
magazine states "These 'grows' as they are known, have made marijuana
Canada's most valuable agricultural product, bigger than wheat, cattle
or timber".

The profits apparently filter down to organized and unorganized crime,
but the legitimate businesses that supply the equipment and the
electricity benefit as well.

Our society appears to be unable and in some case unwilling to reduce
the consumer demand or the source of supply. Is there then an argument
for legalization? The Canadian Government is already licensing growers
for 'medicinal marijuana,' so why not let our Ontario farmers grow the
weed in controlled, quality conditions and function under a quota
system similar to the Milk Marketing Board? The government could
market and tax marijuana, like liquor and cigarettes.

Our farmers could use a good cash crop and the proceeds would
hopefully be better in the coffers of our government than in the hands
of non-taxpaying criminals. Our police and courts would be relieved of
the madness of attempting the futile prosecution of illegal growers,
sellers and users because the damn stuff is available at the corner
LCBO.

To put this another way, if marijuana production is bad because of the
adverse effects, how do we justify our wineries, breweries,
distilleries and tobacco industries?

JAMES TRELIVING

Palgrave