PROHIBITION ENCOURAGES DRUG RINGS

One ''global drug ring'' smashed (Gazette, April 1, ''Canadian crime network
had tentacles in 16 U.S. cities''), and everyone is patting themselves on
the back. But there will just be more and more ''drug rings'' to fill their
shoes.

Gangs get rich because of prohibition. No matter how much money we throw at
the problem, it keeps getting bigger and bigger, more violent and costly,
and it has accomplished nothing.

The vacuum created by this bust will quickly be filled with even more nasty
characters attracted by the enormous amounts of money involved. The flow of
drugs will not cease, no matter how many people get busted.

Of course, if we were to legalize, regulate, and tax all drugs, then we
could take away the gangs' huge profits, and these ''bad guys'' would have
to become ''businessmen.''

The tax revenues available from legalized cannabis alone could earn Canada
billions every year - good money for our schools, hospitals, affordable
housing and our failing military.

After that, we could take one-fifth of the time and money we spend on
prohibition now, and spend that on educating kids about the truth about
drugs, and cut the use of these drugs by 60 to 75 per cent.

Russell Barth

Ottawa