SELECTIVELY BANNING DRUGS A HYPOCRITICAL POLICY

I was greatly disappointed by The Province editorial opposing the
legalization of drugs.

It's true that legalization would likely result in more drug use. The
point, however, is that legalization would greatly reduce problematic drug use.

Standardized doses would reduce the number of overdoses and cheaper
drugs would reduce property crime, not to mention funnelling profits
from gangs to law-abiding citizens.

But this all detracts from the real point.

Civil liberties are not something that should be arbitrarily chosen.

Just as there are alcoholics who drink excessively, there are addicts
who use other drugs excessively.

In one case, we realize restricting everyone's behaviour would be
excessively authoritarian, and in the other we do not.

The hypocrisy should be obvious.

Reilly Wood, Vancouver