LEGAL POT INDUSTRY WOULD CREATE JOBS

Kudos to Star columnist Dalton Camp for his July 12 denunciation of the
mythology and political cowardice surrounding the marijuana issue. I would
like to emphasize his last recommendation, "We should demythologize and
legalize the stuff."

In my opinion, decriminalization is not nearly enough -- just more moral
cowardice. In cleaning up this issue once and for all, we must go all the
way to legalization.

We must turn the growing, preparation and sale of marijuana into jobs --
income-creation vehicles that can be taxed. Anything less reinforces the
existing structure -- the transfer of money to highly organized and
opportunistic criminals.

We have to divert the flow of money from gangs to governments, and in so
doing, create many thousands of legitimate jobs.

The savings achieved could be enormous: significant budget cuts in
law-enforcement and penal services, plus a whole new tax base for future
revenues. It's hard to listen to the budget-slashers when they so
insistently refuse such an obvious revenue source.

ARTHUR FULLER Toronto

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett