Pubdate: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 Source: Chatham Daily News, The (CN ON) Copyright: 2007 OSPREY Media Group Inc. Contact: http://www.chathamdailynews.ca Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1627 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n863/a11.html Author: Jim Powell LEGALIZED MARIJUANA COULD BENEFIT FARMERS Sir: I expect you'll get a lot of negative response from your common-sense July 18 editorial, "We're not dopes," to the effect that cannabis use leads to hard drug use (not true), legalizing it will expose our children to it (they're already exposed, and with it being a symbol of rebellion, it's more attractive than it would be as a legal substance), etc. A point you failed to mention is the tax revenue marijuana would generate as a legal, regulated substance, and the revenue legalization would deny to criminals (organized or not). Also it would provide a revenue stream to our hard-pressed farmers if each were given a small quota to grow for the government store (probably the LCBO). Tobacco farmers want to change crops. Let them grow weed. I don't use the stuff myself, but I know several people who do. Jim Powell Chatham - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom