DRUG LAW TRIGGERED RCMP TRAGEDY

The most recent tragedy involving the shooting of RCMP officers is yet
another indictment of Canadian politicians who could end these incidents
forever but have failed to do so. The decriminalization or, better yet, the
legalization of marijuana would prevent such incidents.

When one considers that marijuana is easily available from coast to coast,
and to people of all ages, it seems both cowardly and irresponsible for
legislators at all levels of government to pretend that the law against
marijuana is effective.

The current situation in Canada allows minors to easily purchase marijuana
and puts profits in the hands of organized criminals so they can finance
other criminal activity. These profits also allow criminals to become more
sophisticated, purchase new equipment, better arm themselves and continue
to elude law enforcement.

Opponents of the legalization of marijuana argue that it is a
stepping-stone drug. This is true now, in the sense that marijuana
introduces users to illegal activity. Marijuana is less harmful than either
alcohol or tobacco, both to users and to society at large. Marijuana
flourishes in the Canadian climate, so it does not need to be imported. The
war against growing and selling marijuana in Canada will never be won, and
innocent lives will continue to be sacrificed while it goes on.

The solution is so obvious that it jumps out at me whenever I hear about
another life lost in a meaningless drug bust. Legalize marijuana. Tax the
sale of marijuana. Make it illegal for minors to purchase marijuana. Tax
profits from the legal sale of marijuana to fund our hospitals, our
military, our outdated infrastructure, our environment and, especially, the
law-enforcement agencies to which we owe so much for making them battle on
in this futile and endless crusade.

Ben Harvie,

Ottawa