Pubdate: Sun, 19 Dec 2010 Source: Gazette, The (Colorado Springs, CO) Copyright: 2010 The Gazette Contact: http://www.gazette.com/sections/opinion/submitletter/ Website: http://www.gazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/165 Author: Steve Sinn Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n1035/a10.html BREATHTAKINGLY NAIVE Gazette Editor Wayne Laugesen's editorial (Dec. 16, "Council rejects black market pot") is breathtakingly naive. He seems to think that the legal pot shops have driven the black market dealers out of business, and if the City Council would have extended the buffer zone to 1,000 feet (between pot shops and schools) then some legal shops would be put out of business (true) and illegal dealers would again start selling to kids. Illegal dealers are still selling to kids, they haven't stopped. Since the legal shops have taken business away from them, they most likely have targeted kids even more than usual, since some of their customers probably get bogus medical marijuana cards and now buy their junk in legal shops. This whole legalization of pot issue has only endangered kids even more than before since illegal pot dealers need to cultivate new customers to maintain their market share - kids. Steve Sinn Manitou Springs - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake