THE 'BIG LIE' IS PERVASIVE

RE: 'New politics of pot emerging' (March 19). The Spectator's Rob Faulkner
writes: "The drug trade has always had links to organized crime." How
pervasive the big lie has become.

In fact, criminals only became involved in the natural behaviour of humans
to enjoy plants and plant extracts after the prohibitionists handed them
the greatest money-making tool they have ever beheld.

It can even be said that, before prohibition, there was no such thing as
organized crime.

From Al Capone to Osama bin Laden, prohibitionists have much to answer for.

Parroting the prohibitionists' party line linking drugs -- instead of the
real culprit, prohibition -- to crime shows how well their propaganda has
infected the public's consciousness.

Richard Marchese

Fairfield, N.J.

PROHIBITION IS THE PROBLEM

RE: 'New politics of pot emerging' (March 19). This thought-provoking
article by The Spectator's Rob Faulkner illustrates how relatively
innocuous and socially tolerated cannabis actually is.

If that were translated into humane, progressive legislation, cannabis
could become a taxed commodity whose returns could be channelled back into
drug education, research, treatment and rehabilitation centres, and the
creation of jobs, jobs, and more jobs.

Relatively few who favour cannabis prohibition give much regard to the fact
that it is prohibition itself which has fuelled the black-market
entrepreneur and "organized crime."

By providing an environment conducive to dictating an untaxed inflated
value rather than the intrinsic worth of this herb, government legislation
is directly responsible for the profitability of grow-ops which attract
"organized crime."

Reconsidering Canada's antiquated cannabis policies would also allow the
money currently spent on enforcement, such as Operation Green Sweep and
prosecution thereof (in 1999-2000 it was in excess of $450 million), to be
channelled into other areas of policing and security-related concerns, or
to health care, education, and social concerns.

Wayne Phillips

Hamilton