MP IS MISTAKEN

Jim Abbott, MP Kootenay-Columbia is mistaken - one ounce of marijuana is a
very small amount. It is between a two-week and a month's supply for the
average marijuana smoker. You would not begrudge an alcohol or tobacco user
for having a month's supply. Many drinkers like to have a wide variety of
alcohol to choose from. Marijuana users are no different. There are a wide
variety of different strains around and we prefer different blends on
different occasions.

I personally buy my marijuana in increments of an ounce. If threshold for
decriminalization is set at a quarter of an ounce this just means that my
dealer will have to break the laws four times a month instead of once - or
more than likely I will ignore the law just as I do now, and as I have done
for 30 years.

Speaking of which, at one ounce a month at $200 for 30 years -that is
$75,000 dollars that could have gone into general revenue. And I am only
one of three million Canadian marijuana smokers. If you are wondering how
to fund an ailing health care system I would suggest that you ignore MP Jim
Abbott's reefer madness rantings and take the advice of the Canadian Senate
to transfer the power to regulate and tax marijuana to the provinces as
they do the alcohol industry.

According to latest polls the majority of Canadians would agree.

Chuck Beyer

Port Alberni