Pubdate: Sun, 26 Sep 2004
Source: Penticton Western (CN BC)
Copyright: 2004 Penticton Western
Contact:  http://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1310
Author: Russell Barth
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

BYLAW NO ANSWER FOR GROW OPS

The bylaw will accomplish nothing. By forcing landlords to pay fines
for the crimes of the tenants, the landlords might just as well get
into the pot-growing business themselves.

If fear of fines and jail was a deterrent, why has it not worked yet?
Do these councillors think people will be too scared to grow pot with
this new bylaw in place?

If our inept government would just legalize and regulate pot growing,
then these grow operations could be out in the industrial areas
instead of people's homes.

Provided no one is damaging the building, offending others with the
smell, stealing hydro, or causing a fire hazard, growing a small
amount of cannabis in one's home should not be a crime.

Adding more prohibition to the situation will result in higher street
value for cannabis. This will make more people, including landlords,
want to get into this highly lucrative business.

Prohibition is the only "scourge" associated with cannabis. People
grow pot because it is valuable, and it is valuable because it is
illegal, and it is illegal because the government wants to protect the
interest of the big pharmaceutical companies.

If prohibition were going to work, it would have worked by
now.

Russell Barth,

Ottawa
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MAP posted-by: Derek