DISTRIBUTE MARIJUANA FROM SAFE, REGULATED SOURCE

RE Grow chief found guilty (Nov. 23):

Sad, isn't it? We all know the resources that have been wasted on this
"sting" operation and the hundreds of thousands of others that occur each
day across Canada.

Priceless police resources that might have been used to investigate a
murder, locate a terrorist or patrol streets and keep the criminals
out of our lives. Sad, because not only are we wasting those resources
but we continue to feed organized crime by forcing this industry
underground and giving the gangs and smugglers the money they need to
further other criminal endeavours. We can no longer ignore the value
of this crop or the impact it would have on our national economy if it
were grown and distributed by people, government or private sector,
who could do it properly. How can we continue to give people criminal
records for growing a plant created by God, one that, given half a
chance, grows in any ditch on any Canadian road?

Rick Keep

Lac du Bonnet, Man.

(As our feature today shows, the costs of the grow-house industry are
incalculable -- and saying 'just stop busting them' isn't an option)