GROW-OP HAZARD HYPED

Re: Dope farm next door bad news (Cary Castagna, Feb. 9).

If done properly, cannabis can be grown safely with no electrical hazard and
no mould. Federally licensed medical marijuana growers Eric Nash and Wendy
Little have published a book about how to do it safely and legally.

But police want to make sure that the public is deathly afraid of marijuana
growing because they want prohibition to stay in effect. That is why they
exaggerate the dangers and value of plants, and the press just report what
police tell them without asking any questions. Police love to kick in doors
wearing ski-masks and shouting obscenities and sticking guns in people's
faces. It must be quite a rush, and sure beats solving real crimes. They
also get very large budgets for this activity.

The only way to curb the dangers of grow-ops is to legalize and regulate the
business. Anything less would be criminal.

Regulation worked with alcohol, and it would work even better with pot
growers.

But the police, free from the tyranny of common sense, would rather continue
with an expensive and failed policy that serves organized crime. So why is
it again that we listen to a word police say anymore?

Russell Barth

Educators For Sensible Drug Policy

Ottawa

(They don't write the laws.)