WAITING TO BE CONVINCED ON LEGALIZING MARIJUANA

Thanks to Winston Smith for his letter and his views. Please accept
my humble opinion about the matter of legalizing pot.

Although we had suspicions about a certain house in our
neighbourhood, almost all of the residents in our vicinity were
surprised when large steel garbage bins showed up on the gravel
driveway of an older house.

For all those folks who have written to The Daily News and expressed
their desire to legalize pot, please help me to come to terms with
some of the problems associated with grow ops and specifically, how
legalizing pot would address these issues.

A nice old house has been rendered unfit for human habitation as a
result of this grow op.

B.C. hydro (and all the rest of us who are honest and pay for power)
have been stuck with an enormous hydro bill as a result of this grow op.

I understand that an agency was called to rescue more than one dog
that had been forced to live inside this horrible place. The stench
emanating from the steel bins was consistent with a filthy dog
kennel, mixed with rotting garbage. More than once, dogs had been
loose in the neighborhood and seemed to return to the back yard of this house.

It stands to reason that the neighbours adjacent to this house were
most likely to be affected if faulty or overloaded electrical
circuits caused a structure fire. The people involved with this
residence were also responsible for putting emergency personnel in
potential danger.

Last, but not least, just about every conceivable activity attached
with this place was motivated by greed with total disregard for the
well being, safety and health of any other person living in the neighbourhood.

I am patient and do have an open mind. Please convince me that your
plans of legalizing pot will have a measurable positive influence
towards addressing the issues raised.

Then perhaps make your case to City council so that zoning bylaws can
be changed to allow residential dwellings to cultivate pot in a
clean, safe and environmentally friendly fashion.

JOHN NOAKES

Kamloops