MARIJUANA LAWS ARE NOT WORKING FOR ANYBODY

To the Editor:

I agree with local editors and others in the community calling for an
end to cannabis prohibition. To me legalization means regulation,
education, harm reduction and taxation.

In Holland they have such a system and it produces two things.
Firstly they have less cannabis use than North America, most notably
amongst teens. Secondly they bring in $650 million canna-tax dollars
per year that is spent on much needed social programs.

Here it is quite the opposite. Some local leaders call for an
American style "War On Drugs", others call for cannabis crackdowns.
Both are getting what they asked for as evidenced by the massive
enforcement operations we saw last summer.

Just how much is spent on cannabis enforcement locally? Fair
question, but we'll likely never have the answer because it's a
well-kept secret. All we are told is six more cops for grow ops, plus
a high-price commander.

Prohibition of cannabis causes many problems in our community. Chief
amongst them is the fact that prohibition is the controlling factor of
the price of cannabis. It also causes more people to use cannabis as a
form of rebellion, smoking each joint as if it could be their last.

What we have been doing has failed miserably, essentially we have the
exact opposite of the "Holland effect". No bang for our buck. A total
waste of money.

Another major problem is that otherwise law abiding citizens who use
or grow cannabis, or have a record for it are neglecting to call and
report crime to police. People fear falling under cannabis
investigation, something that is very, very common in Nelson. You
call the police and suddenly you are being searched and questioned due
to perceived "marijuana smell". This is a dangerous situation that
needs to stop. Please phone the police to report crime, even if you
have to put up with that outcome.

My one parting thought is moderate adult use of cannabis for those
that choose it is safe, please use it responsibly, respect the police
and be safe.

Alan Middlemiss,

Holy Smoke,

Nelson, B.C.