METH-LACED DOPE PROMPTS WARNING

The coordinator of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU)
says reports that marijuana is getting laced with crystal meth provide
further proof pot needs to be legalized.

West Vancouver police released a warning on Friday after Health Canada
confirmed the presence of crystal meth in 30 grams of marijuana that
was seized in December.

Police could not confirm whether the suspects laced the drug for their
own use, but aren't ruling out the chance that other people may be
distributing "hot" pot.

Delta police issued a similar warning a week before after coming
across the mixture on the streets.

They warned that drug dealers might be lacing marijuana with the
highly addictive drug to hook users.

Ann Livingstone of VANDU said yesterday that the latest scares prove
marijuana should be legalized and distributed by licensed dealers.

"People are finding out that when they pay for it, they may be getting
something they weren't expecting," she said. "That's exactly why we
need the drug regulated, that way people would be able to know what
they buy is clean."