MY VIEW

Re: "Coleman says marijuana grow ops the cash flow for organized crime,"
March 20.

Sixty members of the community listened to politicians and police talk
about what is being done to stop the proliferation of grow ops in the Lower
Mainland. Sigh ...

First of all, I hardly think that 60 people at a forum is a good enough
sample of the community to base any sort of criticism on any subject
pertaining to the major population that does not attend these events.

My beef isn't with the people who attended, though. They obviously care
deeply enough about their families that they want their voices heard. The
subject affects them in their homes and neighborhoods. They should be
concerned.

My beef is with the politicians, namely Rich Coleman and Mayor Jon
Kingsbury because of their comments. I also have a tough time swallowing
what the police have to say on the matter.

With election time coming up soon, politicians wouldn't want to spark too
much controversy over their current efforts on the subject. It's best to
step aside quickly and let the police handle the situation.

Who's in charge here anyway? I hope it's not the police. This isn't a
police state yet. I hope it's "the people" in charge and the courts who
care for their best interests.

I gather from what I read in the article that the police have a keen
interest in acquiring new little toys to combat what they say is the evil
of marijuana. Kingsbury seems to be their buddy, fueling them along. I
guess those casino funds from addicted gamblers come in handy when
supplying the police with their toys.

Secondly, I wanted to touch upon the main problem, which is the way many in
this community feel about the issue of cannabis and its legalization. I
appreciated that reporter Ron Devitt managed to attach a short ditty at the
end of the article stating the other side of the argument. Sigh again. I
would have liked to hear more of what Roderick Louis had to say.

MLA Richard Stewart was noticeably upset with Louis's call for
decriminalization because it contradicts what he wants to see happen with
the issue. Louis said, "It's time there was some constructive talk about
the decriminalization of cannabis and putting it on the same level as
alcohol in this society." I couldn't agree with him more. We need to hear
from everyone on this issue, not just a handful of opportunists and
self-proclaimed do-gooders.

The issue as I see it isn't a hard one to grasp. There is a very widespread
use of marijuana in this province, this country and worldwide. A large
portion of this world's society also uses alcohol. It's funny to think that
alcohol is legal and marijuana is not, that you can die from consuming too
much of the aforementioned and not the latter.

Yet, it's legal to consume alcohol because the government says it's okay. I
find their reasoning a bit confusing.

The decriminalization of marijuana would lead to a more controlled
environment for growing it. It could then be monitored by safety
regulations. It would take a large bite out of organized crime making large
profits to fund themselves. It would also take a huge burden off of our
court systems. The police could actually use their time more effectively to
focus on bigger issues that concern the public, such as violent crimes.

They are wrong when they try to lump marijuana in with crack cocaine and
there needs to be more discussion all the way around the issue. I say this
because almost one in four people I meet smokes marijuana, medicinally or
for pleasure. Medicinally, to help ease the symptoms of an illness.
Pleasure, to relieve the stresses of the day or to socialize - the same way
alcohol is consumed. I have met individuals from all walks of life who
consume it. This is why there are so many grow ops. There is a demand for it.

I look forward to seeing a national referendum on the issue. We may then
put this issue into better perspective for the population.

- - Pamela Sharif is a Port Moody resident and mother of two.