SENSELESS PROHIBITION OF THE MARIJUANA PLANT

RE "TIDE is high on prevention" (Jan. 29): The idea of holding yet another
summit to combat marijuana grow ops is absurd because the only strategies
under discussion are proven failures. Community Safety Minister Monte
Kwinter acknowledges that grow ops aren't going away. The police admit that
they are already working with hydro. So what is the point?

Everyone knows that grow ops steal hydro to avoid detection. And they are
operated unsafely (though that problem appears overblown) and in a manner
that harms the property because illegal operations have no incentives to
spend extra funds on safety or cleanliness. Legal businesses, on the other
hand, want to be safe and want to maintain property values. Oh, and legal
businesses don't trade their product for cocaine and guns.

Let's crunch the numbers. Ontario loses $85 million a year in stolen
electricity. The pot industry generates $12 billion a year in profits.
Clearly growers can afford to pay their electricity bills. If we ended our
senseless prohibition of the marijuana plant, Ontario would be able to tax
the industry (at a amazingly low 1% tax rate, that revenue would be $120
million), recoup the stolen electricity costs, end the involvement of
organized crime and impose real safety standards on growers. An option that
actually works. But one that, unfortunately, won't be on the table at the
summit.

Kirk Tousaw

Policy Director

B.C. Civil Liberties Association

(Of course, if you legalize pot, it likely won't be a $12-billion business
for long ...)