MAYOR RIGHT ABOUT GROW-OPS

To the editor:

Re: "Council Squabbles Over Grow Ops" NDN front page, March 10, 2005."

Mayor Elliott rightly says the issue [RCMP shootings in Alberta] is not
about marijuana, but gun control.

Further to that correct statement, the person who did the shooting was a
known desperate criminal, with serious emotional and mental problems, as
well as an enormous criminal record. The RCMP detachment were well aware
of his history.

Going to his place and being killed in the line of duty has everything to
do with criminality and less to do with marijuana growing.

If marijuana were legalized, and grow-ops were required to meet government
standards, just as organic vegetable farmers are required to do, the Mom
and Pop farming operations which grow marijuana for medical purposes would
find a large share of the farming of marijuana would devolve to them. This
could provide a tax base to support the government involvement for
inspection, as does other produce.

Then the RCMP could deal with the criminal element and be better prepared
and able to raid illegal grow-ops. They would have a stronger position and
the community would be more supportive of RCMP officers who risk their
lives daily protecting their local community, from the criminal element;
who (under the cover story of marijuana grow-ops) must be apprehended.

This would separate the necessary policing of the criminal element from
legitimate grow-ops which would be monitored by government led departments
who could maintain high quality standards for the product.

M. Lavinder,

Balfour, B.C.