LEGALIZING MARIJUANA WOULD DETER CRIME

I smoked marijuana when I was much younger and only very briefly.

It turned out I had a heart condition and pot gave me an dangerously
irregular heartbeat. Haven't touched the stuff since.

In fact, I've also given up the more pernicious habit of smoking tobacco.

I related this to our MP Karen Kraft Sloan before I asked the obvious
question about her own background in smoking marijuana, since she so
strongly advocated its decriminalization. She has also puffed, inhaled and
quickly gave it up as a bad idea. Bravo to Ms Kraft Sloan for her honesty.

Personally, I would go further than decriminalization and legalize it
outright, ensuring marijuana is properly controlled by government. That
would cut the legs out from under the criminal organizations that now
control its growth and distribution.

In fact, with the Liberal government's feeble concession to common sense,
the criminal underworld won't be touched at all.

Yeah, you can have small amounts and you'll only get a fine, but where are
you supposed to get those small amounts? You're not allowed to grow it, so
someone else will.

Dumb.

In my native Holland, where marijuana is practically legal and has been for
years, consumption has been declining to the point where it is half that
per capita of the marijuana-paranoid United States. With legalization, it
has lost its forbidden allure to youth.

And marijuana as a so-called gateway drug? Nonsense. There is no credible
study to support this.

Addictive people will naturally follow their predilections, no matter
what's available.

A lot of police, York Regional Police Chief Armand LaBarge included, are
vigorously opposed to relaxing marijuana laws, but think of the resources
that could be directed at real crime if cops weren't busy chasing after
potheads. Grow houses would disappear overnight.

As for a long, hot summer of violence because of decriminalization, that's
bunk.

Just ask cops to what they'd prefer responding -- 200 youths partying in a
field drunk, or 200 youths partying in a field high on marijuana. (It's
hypothetical -- there is no third alternative).

Legalize it. That's my opinion and I haven't been smoking anything.