POT SHOTS

Margaret Wente's suggestion that the number of teenagers smoking pot
would somehow
increase if we legalized and controlled cannabis the same way we do
alcohol (Pot: Why
Not Legalize It? - July 24) is baffling. A pot seller has nothing to
lose by doing
business with a minor; if anything, it's probably safer because a kid
is unlikely to be
a plainclothes cop. A bar or liquor-store owner has everything to
lose by selling to
minors, and everything to gain by checking ID.

I can see one argument for leaving cannabis illegal - at least it
keeps the kids away from harder stuff such as alcohol and tobacco.

MARK SENIOR

Edmonton