MARIJUANA: LEGAL WEED ONLY WAY

Dear Editor,

Your response to Robert Sharpe's well written letter [Weed worth its weight
in gold, Aug.7 Feature Letter, Langley Advance News] was to trot out tired
"reefer madness" horror stories. Long term memory loss and psychosis?

Given that so many Canadians have smoked marijuana at some point in their
lives, would it not stand to reason that some of these terrible long-term
side effects would have manifested themselves throughout society by now?

They have not, because they do not exist. They are part of the propaganda
which has been shoveled at us (mostly from our neighbours to the south) for
almost half a century.

With regard to your "slippery slope" argument, readers only need to ask
themselves when was the last time they purchased liquor or beer or wine
from a bootlegger. I'd expect most if not all of us would answer "never."

Why then do you assume the large-scale underground production and
distribution of marijuana which occurs today would continue in a society in
which the substance is not banned?

Drug dealers also have easy access to beer and wine in today's society, but
I doubt many teens get their booze from them. Why not? Because there's no
profit in it. The government monopoly on alcohol has removed the black
market from the equation.

Legalization equals regulation. It's that simple.

Matthew B. Safran
Vancouver