REEFER MADNESS

In his thoughtful Jan. 21 column, Paul Willcocks noted that "the
marijuana trade is considered a key driver of the current crime
world." Hazardous marijuana grow operations are a direct result of
prohibition. Legitimate farmers do not steal electricity to grow
produce in the basements of rented homes. If legal, growing marijuana
would be less profitable then farming tomatoes. The drug war distorts
market forces such that an easily grown weed is worth its weight in
gold.

Rather than continue to subsidize organized crime, Canadian policy
makers should ignore the reefer madness hysteria of the U.S. and look
to their own Senate for guidance. In the words of Senator Pierre
Claude Nolin, "scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that
cannabis is substantially less harmful than alcohol and should be
treated not as a criminal issue but as a social and public health issue."

There is a big difference between condoning marijuana use and
protecting children from drugs. Decriminalization acknowledges the
social reality of marijuana and frees users from the stigma of
criminal records. What's really needed is a regulated market with age
controls. Separating the hard and soft drug markets is critical. As
long as marijuana remains in the hands of organized crime, consumers
will continue to come into contact with addictive drugs like cocaine.

Robert Sharpe

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, DC