Hello DOUG.

30 Dec 03 15:06, you wrote to me:

 MG>> So far, 9 people have been arrested; 3 in Toronto and 6 in B.C. The
 MG>> Mounties won't say how that case led them to the B.C. legislature, but
 MG>> they said the drug trade is not just about biker gangs.
"The fact that
 MG>> $6 billion a year is generated by this industry shouldn't surprise
 MG>> anyone that many people are susceptible to being
corrupted," said RCMP
 MG>> Sgt. John Ward.

 DP> No kidding.  So what's the answer?  More crackdowns on pot planting
 DP> or.....legitimize the industry, take it out of the dark and put it in the
 DP> light, and slap some taxes on it, like they do for booze?   Not really
 DP> sure here.  Maybe we need to study this a bit.....

IMO, pot is far less addictive and far less physically damaging than
alcohol is, and it causes /way/ less grief for others. How many people get
into accidents because they're high on pot? Very few, because if they're
not too paranoid to drive, they tend to crawl along well under the speed
limit, being extra cautious. Compare that to the recklessness that alcohol
tends to cause in people's behaviours.

And I don't buy the US anti-pot campaigns, claiming that such and such a
percentage of people who caused accidents had THC in their blood. THC
sticks around for weeks, and a certain percentage of people cause accidents
stone cold sober anyways. I'd also be willing to bet handsomely that many
of those people who tested positive for THC after an accident they caused,
also had some far more dangerous drug in their system at the time.

It makes no sense to me that such a dangerous drug as alcohol is legal in
this country and yet pot is not. Yes, it should be legalized and taxed; it
will take the trade out of the hands of the criminals and make money for
the government, which can then be put to good use helping people with
problems from far more addictive drugs.

And this is from someone who is not a big fan of pot. Yes, I've used it
before, and I still have a rare occasional puff, but I much prefer an
occasional drink. I do not look down on those who like to use it a lot
more, though.


--- GoldED/W32 3.0.1