PROHIBITION DOESN'T WORK

Re "Minister cultivates tougher pot-grower penalties," (Nov. 3): Politics
is somewhat reminiscent of the old chicken-and-egg argument -- are
politicians truly that ignorant before we elect them or do they become
willfully ignorant after we elect them?

Bob Runciman's plan to incarcerate pot farmers is a case in point. If Mr.
Runciman truly used his wits and had a sense of history he'd know that his
blunt approach to prohibition doesn't work. The imposition of one's moral
vision in spite of the immutability of the laws of economics is why
cannabis is literally worth its weight in gold.

Clearly, America's attempt to jail its way to victory in the drug war has
been a big, fat failure. Can Mr. Runciman provide any research to prove
that his war on cannabis would be any different? Didn't someone once define
insanity as doing the same thing over and over again in the expectation of
a different result? It's not a panacea but I'll take cannabis regulation
over Runciman's blatant demagoguery any day!

Carey Ker

Toronto

(Less huffing, more puffing, you mean?)