LET IT GROW

Burnaby, B.C. -- Re Liberals Move To Decriminalize Pot (on-line edition, May
27): How can any public prosecutor stand before a judge with a straight face
and argue that, while possession of 15 grams of pot in a plastic bag is not
a criminal offence, owning the same amount in plant form is? If simple
possession for personal use is not a criminal act, common sense dictates
that growing marijuana for personal use should be treated the same way.

Isn't it time our government faced reality and treated marijuana the same as
other social drugs such as alcohol and tobacco? License producers, regulate
content and tax the proceeds, for the public good. That is the only way to
take this billion-dollar industry out of the hands of organized crime and
ensure the public benefits of self-funded education programs about the
health effects of chronic use.

Chris Brads