POT LEGALIZATION A START

Mark Tonner claims the commercial transport of legal marijuana would
be hazardous beyond belief. Why? Expensive and valuable goods are
transported on our roads every day, including many which are far more
valuable. By Tonner's logic, the end of alcohol prohibition would
have seen similar danger in transport. Yet, trucks emblazoned with
names like Molson drive our streets in relative safety with nary a
sign of Al Capone.

Tonner asserts liquor stores would need military-grade protection if
they sold legal pot.

Why? Liquor stores already hold millions of dollars in inventory, and
many types of alcohol are far more valuable than marijuana, yet they
don't need military-grade protection.

Marijuana prohibition is a costly and dangerous failure that has
enriched organized criminals.

Ending that prohibition and replacing it with an effective regulatory
and taxation framework would transfer control of a $7 billion market
from criminals to government and allow police to focus on violent and
property crime. Legalizing marijuana may not solve all our problems
but it's a start.

Jacob Hunter, Vancouver