MAYOR SHOULD BACK LEGALIZATION

I am in complete agreement with the TC's editorial supporting the
legalization of cannabis ("Vancouver mayor backs legal pot," June 9).
Recently I attended all four of the City of Victoria's harm reduction
meetings, to observe firsthand what the position the public had
regarding this important issue.

I came away with a sense that the legalization of marijuana's time has
come. Most of the public and all of the service providers applauded
when I suggested that marijuana be legalized, taxed, and the money
spent on harm reduction. Not spent on debt reduction, or on roads, or
on anything else but the four pillars of harm reduction. In fact,
money saved from the enforcement pillar could fight the crystal
methamphetamine problem.

I truly hope that the City of Victoria will join with Vancouver in
continuing this debate and sending a message to Ottawa that we believe
that the time has come to legalize cannabis.

Fred Mallach

Victoria