TIME FOR CANADA TO LEGALIZE POT

Re: Ian Gillespie's May 10 column, "Pothead in hot pursuit of justice".

If outspoken Canadian marijuana activist and seed entrepreneur Marc
Emery is guilty of anything, it's telling the truth about marijuana
prohibition.

If health outcomes determined drug laws instead of cultural norms,
marijuana would be legal. And if harsh penalties deterred consensual
vices, the former land of the free and current record holder in
citizens incarcerated would be a "drug-free" America.

The University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future Study reports that
lifetime use of cannabis is higher in the United States than any
European country, yet the U.S. is one of the few western countries
that use its criminal justice system to punish citizens who prefer
marijuana to martinis. Canada should follow the lead of Europe and
just say no to the "American Inquisition".

Robert Sharpe, MPA Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy

Arlington, VA