POLICE OFFICER SUPPORTS DRUG LEGALIZATION

Darcey McLaughlin made a strong argument in favour of legalizing
marijuana in his July 1 column, but he didn't go far enough.

I'm a Canadian police officer who supports gradually legalizing and
regulating all drugs. This includes marijuana as well as ecstasy,
heroin and other substances. The argument in favour of legalizing
these drugs is not that they are beneficial or fun, but rather that
drugs are so dangerous they need to be regulated and controlled by the
government. Under prohibition the government has no control.

It is the drug dealer who chooses price, purity, cutting agents as
well as business location and operating hours. And these dealers
certainly are not asking minors for ID, nor are they encouraging their
customers to get addiction treatment.

As a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, I recognize that
Canadian drug laws consume enormous police resources while paying few,
if any, dividends.

The unintended consequences of drug prohibition include high property
crime rates, gang violence over control of the drug trade and the
spread of HIV and Hepatitis C from needle sharing. After decades of
heavy enforcement, drugs are cheaper, more pure and more available
than ever before. It is time for a new approach.

By legalizing and regulating drugs, the government could treat drug
abuse as a public health issue rather than a criminal justice problem.
This would allow law enforcement to shift focus to other areas such as
child pornography, domestic violence and youth crime. Please note that
my opinions are my own and they do not represent my employer.

David Bratzer

Victoria, BC