POT LEGALIZATION PLAN IS NAIVE

About a year ago, Keith Martin suggested that the health risks of
smoking contraband cigarettes could be mitigated by introducing a
government tracking system akin to the Liquor Control Act. He
suggested that government-labelled cigarettes would be "safe" to smoke.

Now comes his private member's bill that recommends we decriminalize
the possession of small amounts of marijuana in order to curtail gang
violence. Martin seems ignorant of the fact that a large part of our
drug problem here in B.C. is due to the proximity of our neighbour to
the south -- one that is 10 times our size, has an insatiable desire
for drugs and has not legalized them.

In 2006, Mexico tried to introduce such decriminalization
legislation, and at the last minute President Vicente Fox refused to
sign the bill into law. What changed his mind? The United States
objected, and it's naive for Martin to think that the U.S. will let
us do the same without their consent.

Richard Atwell

Saanich