ANTI-DRUG BILL NOT PRODUCTIVE

EDITOR,

MP John Weston says that his proposed anti-drug bill would reduce drug
production, ostensibly by scaring dealers away from the business with
the threat of jail time and other sanctions.

The problem with this policy is that the exact opposite will result.
Dealers are not scared by anything, and they are highly adaptable.
When stiffer sentences are imposed, or enforcement is increased, the
business shifts to the 95 per cent of dealers and producers who will
never be caught. All studies support this. No science supports the
Tory policy on drugs. Sure, we put some "bad guys" in jail, which is
supposed to "send a message" to the other guys who are nothing but
delighted at the police's zeal. If we can't catch them all, we are
only helping the ones we don't catch.

Despite the member's assertions, this bill would be outrageously
counterproductive. It would increase crime and violence, and likely
increase overall production as the dealers consolidate their empires.
This is just Prohibition 2.0, as if more prohibition can cure the
problems caused by prohibition.

The solution is to repeal prohibition, legalize and regulate
everything (meth, ecstasy, coke, and heroin are all safer than booze),
and spend more money on border protection. The Tory solution seems
designed to subsidize criminals, and I have no doubt that this is by
design. The inevitable increase in crime that comes from this policy
will be used in the future as justification for more cops, more jails,
and more suppression of our collective rights. The public is being
bamboozled once again.

Russell Barth

Federally Licensed Medical Marijuana User

Drug Reform Analyst and Consultant

Educators for Sensible Drug Policy

Nepean, Ont.