LETTER WRITER PROVES ADAGE OF SUCKER BORN EVERY MINUTE

Dear Editor,

Ken J. Marsh [Police officers easier to believe, Jan. 9 Letters,
Langley Advance] just proves the old saying, "There is a sucker born
every minute."

I use marijuana for medical reasons, not to "escape reality." By
that, I mean I use marijuana to deal with the reality of a chronic
pain and depression condition, and my wife uses it to escape violent
epileptic seizures.

But on the subject of police credibility, one must look at history.
Just because a cop says something is dangerous, doesn't make it so.

Almost all of what police say about marijuana can be disproved by
simply looking it up. One need look no further than the 2002 Senate
Committee Report for proof.

They have an agenda; they want prohibition to continue.

If pot were suddenly legalized, police would have to start treating
young people, people of colour, the poor, and chronically ill
Canadians like myself with actual respect - not to mention the
enormous budget cuts they'd be likely to suffer.

If Mr. Marsh wants to take the word of a group of people who have a
large budgetary interest in continuing a counter-productive policy,
and has been repeatedly caught in hundreds, if not thousands of lies
over a period of decades, I have a wonderful bridge in Brooklyn I
would love to sell him.

Russell Barth

Ottawa, Ont.