A SNITCH IN TIME

Re: "Meter readers to spot pot," June 10.

What kind of message is sent to children when the solution to the
marijuana grow-op problem is to have us rat on each other? It's a
shame the police have no better tactic than to turn public service
workers into snitches.

The failed policy of marijuana prohibition is the reason growers set
up operations in homes, increasing the risks of fire and property
damage. If marijuana were legalized using the alcohol model, the
dangerous clandestine residential grow-op would cease to exist.
Growers would be more than happy to plant outdoors or in properly
designed, regulated, industrial greenhouses. They wouldn't steal
electricity; they'd pay for it or rely on sunshine. Mould and other
ventilation problems wouldn't exist, and security could be provided by
guards or off-duty police officers. It's time to legalize marijuana.

Cedric Sylvester

Peterborough, Ont.