WHY NOT TAX AND REGULATE CANNABIS

RE "COPS rattle drug rings," (Nov. 18): Ottawa Police Insp. Gary Nelson
illustrates the Chinese finger trap we call the "war on drugs" with his
recognition that drug interdiction merely destabilizes markets, drives up
prices and creates underworld job openings.

Higher prices drive up prostitution and theft while shortages cause lethal
fluctuations in purity and drive users to alternatives, usually alcohol.

A recent study by the RAND Corporation found that every additional dollar
invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayers $7.46 in societal
costs. Treatment is 10 times more cost effective than interdiction in
reducing the use of cocaine in the United States. Rather than interdict
10-15% of the cannabis trade, leaving the rest in the underground economy
as we do now, why not tax and regulate cannabis and hashish, thus
generating a pool of funds for research, prevention, education and harm
reduction proportional to the population of users?

If our worst fears came true and cannabis regulation turned the entire
subset of Canadians who would like to use cannabis, but who as a
consequence of police searches and seizures were unable to obtain it, into
chronic "pot heads," we would have the funds on hand to cope with it.

Matthew M. Elrod

(There's a lot of room for improvment when it comes to our drug laws)