Pubdate: Mon, 02 Mar 2009 Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Copyright: 2009 Times Colonist Contact: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481 Author: Jacquelyn Ross LEGALIZE MARIJUANA, REAP TAX BENEFITS As I see it, the Lower Mainland gangs are bumping each other off and saving the taxpayers a lot of money. When will a politician, any politician, have the backbone to stand up and demand that the government legalize marijuana? It could be sold in government liquor stores and the tax benefits would be enormous. Let's keep the money out of the hands of the gangsters (anybody remember Al Capone?) and put it where it belongs -- health care and child welfare, not to mention paying off the coming Olympic debt. I'm a retired person and don't smoke the stuff myself, but I've never heard of anyone beating their children, abusing their wife or committing murder while under the influence of marijuana. Too bad the same can't be said for the stuff legally sold in liquor stores. Jacquelyn Ross Coombs - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom