MARIJUANA RARELY LACED WITH METH

With regard to your article (Have your special brownie, and eat it too
the Muse, Vol. 58, issue 23) stating the falsehood:

"Legalization would make smoking up safer for those who choose to do
so, as it would reduce the risk of it being laced with things such as
crystal meth."

I see your paper and readers too have been a victim of the marijuana
laced with Meth lie.

I received the following information from Health Canada DAS (Drug
Analysis Services) on Nov 27, 2007. I note that DAS tests all seized
marijuana in Canada.

"As per previous communications, we have reviewed our records to
determine the number of times over the past few years that the Drug
Analysis Service identified both Cannabis (marijuana) and
methamphetamine in an exhibit submitted to our laboratories. Since
April 1, 2003, a total of fourteen exhibits (samples) were found to
contain both Cannabis (marijuana) and methamphetamine.

Over the same time period, Cannabis (marijuana) was identified in
194,454 exhibits. The number of exhibits that the Drug Analysis
Service found to contain both marijuana and methamphetamine therefore
represents 0.0072 percent of all the exhibits that contained
marijuana, for this time period."

That is, 14 samples out of 194,454 samples over a four-year period
that contained both marijuana and meth. Another DAS employee has told
me that these are cross-contaminated samples and that they have no
control on how the RCMP interprets its test results.

The Marijuana laced with meth statement is a lie to scare us. It is
against the law to spread false messages to alarm us. It scares the
willies out of a lot of parents and that is the intention in my opinion.

It is sad when you can't believe the police or even what you read in
the news.

Kevin Allan