SMOKING POT A VICTIMLESS CRIME

To the editor:

Good for Mayor Owen for seeing the light with respect to the expense and
futility of police pot busts.

However, I do not think that many people have considered the distinction
between decriminalization and legalization. I hope the mayor opposes the
former and favours the latter.

Currently, 50,000 citizens a year are charged for a victimless crime.
Decriminalization might actually encourage more charges rather than reduce
them. Presently, those members of law enforcement with a conscience and the
ability to think for themselves may be reluctant to saddle a citizen with a
criminal record for such a common and benign activity. Decriminalization
would almost certainly see the number of charges rise with the result being
that a cash cow develops for the government in a very underhanded way. Just
like parking tickets. The only way to prevent this insanity from continuing
is outright legalization.

Ian Tootill, Vancouver