DRUG LAWS ARE A FAILURE AND ALWAYS WILL BE

Re: Ramp up the war on drugs, Letters, Jan. 20

Last year, over 58,000 Canadians were arrested for possession of
cannabis, which must be considered the single most benign "criminal"
act that involves an illegal substance.

This makes up more than 50 per cent of all drug arrests in Canada.

Prohibitionists claim that personal users, especially of cannabis, are
not their target.

Statistics say otherwise.

The claim that "drugs are drugs" is a complete denial of the massive
and widely accepted body of scientific evidence on the subject.

For example, in 2010 the Lancet, a peer-reviewed British science
journal, rated the harm of 20 drugs to individuals and to society.
Alcohol ranked #1 (most harmful) with a score of 72 (out of 100),
followed by heroin (55) and crack (54). Cannabis scored 20.

Let's be strong enough to admit our current path is a failure and
always will be.

Whelm King

Victoria