MAKE IT LEGAL

Whilst reading Two-Thirds Favour Decriminalizing Pot (May 15), I was
saddened to see the following comment from the Canadian Police Association
pass without analysis: Drug use is a "significant contributing factor in a
wide range of crimes, including property offences, crimes of violence,
robbery, prostitution and organized crime gangs."

They do not actually dare to say that people smoking pot is the cause of
these societal woes, but definitely imply it. This is a typical anti-drug
position used by those lacking sufficient grounds to support their argument.
Any individual capable of thinking clearly will immediately see that it is
the very act of criminalizing pot that causes these problems. If pot were to
be legalized, taxed, and channelled via the government, the gangs and other
assorted criminals that the government keeps in business would have no
market left -- and yes, whilst there may still be residual smuggling
problems, one rarely reads of shoot-outs and prostitution rings run by
cigarette gangs.

Mark Bryan, Vancouver