LEGALIZE CANNABIS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY

Re: Poll shows Liberal rebound, Jan. 19

The Liberals believe our country will be better off if marijuana is
legalized. They're not alone. On the West Coast a campaign called
"Stop the Violence B.C.," led by law enforcement officers, former
prosecutors, university professors, doctors and lawyers, argues that
we can make our communities safer by reducing the crime associated
with illegal cannabis production and distribution.

As a doctoral researcher I agree with Stop the Violence B.C. when they
say that research has consistently demonstrated a relationship between
prohibitions of widely used substances, such as marijuana, and violent
crime. Much of the headline-grabbing violence we see in British
Columbia is associated with efforts to control the right to supply an
enormous illegal market estimated at 430,000 users in B.C. alone.

This widespread use of cannabis makes it an ideal candidate for
regulation. Research suggests that proactive regulation and taxation
of this substance will very likely reduce related violence and
criminal activity, decreasing policing costs while generating revenue
for the government. These studies also suggest that regulation would
lead to an eventual decrease in the number of people toking up.

I would like to be clear that I am not advocating cannabis use.
Rather, I am arguing for its legalization and regulation because at
least two decades of research tell us that such an approach can reduce
the negative effects this drug has on our society.

Nathan Vadeboncoeur

Vancouver