POT GROWERS, SELLERS ARE BREAKING THE LAW

Re: 'Pot law proposal criticized' (Daily News, Dec. 10)

Paul Walton's article presents the views on both sides of the
marijuana debate, recording his findings in a professional, detached
manner.

In my opinion, the senate decision to raise the threshold for
mandatory sentencing to 201 plants sends a dangerous mixed message.

Marijuana remains an illegal drug in this country except for certain
medical reasons.

Those who choose not to obtain a Health Canada certificate to grow the
drug for medicinal purposes is simply choosing to break the laws of
this country.

The senate has allowed an incredible amount of leeway, and of course
government policies are a matter of public knowledge, so illegal
operations can conceivably reduce the number of plants in a single
operation to stay below the mandatory sentencing level.

Lennard Melman suggests that "the principle is whether adults have the
right to do what they want with their own bodies as long as they don't
interfere with others."

Because we exist in community, inevitably what anyone does will
"interfere with" -- I would use the more neutral word "effect" --
others. Melman is perhaps being deliberately naive in this given
Const. Gary O'Brian's assertion that 35% of the illegal grow
operations in Nanaimo are linked with organized crime.

This issue is not only about what adults choose to do with ther own
bodies. It is about greed, unlawful behaviour and exploitation.

Many countries do not have the levels of drug use -- or marijuana in
particular -- that Canada does. It should be a source of shame for us
that we fail to act decisively to end illegal activities. Some people
are so confused as to think that marijuana has been decriminalized --
it has not been.

Drug use is associated with crime, with the breakdown of relationships
and with mental illness according to information from
http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html#anchor .

Instead of continuing to prevaricate, Canada ought to take a strong
stand against the production of marijuana.

Its citizens should be educated about the very real dangers associated
with the use of this drug and its suppliers should be viewed as the
criminals they are.

Mandatory sentence for pot growers?

They know they're breaking the law, they should suffer the
consequences.

Susan Schleppe

Nanaimo