Pubdate: Thu, 17 May 2012
Source: Surrey Leader (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Surrey Leader
Contact:  http://www.surreyleader.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1236
Author: Ken Cornelis
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v12/n271/a01.html

LEGALIZING POT WON'T STOP GANGS

Re: "Prohibition won't stop teen pot use."

I read with interest Evan Woods' letter in the May 8 edition of The
Leader and just had to say something.

We hear the same old explanations for legalization all the time - how
liquor prohibition didn't work, how gang violence is increasing, how
teens seek the "forbidden fruit" and all these points are true, but
there are other things to consider.

Alcohol and tobacco are currently legal and regulated and yet teens do
seek them out along with pot. If pot was regulated then the use would
continue, but using Woods' argument about forbidden fruit, you would
see a definite increase in the use of other drugs.

Legalizing drugs like meth or ecstasy cannot happen because they are
in fact dangerous chemical cocktails and so should remain illegal.

Gangs by the way did not put down their guns and violence when alcohol
prohibition ended, did they? Even if all drugs were legal, gangs would
still be around making money on gambling scams, extortion, human
trafficking, identity theft, etc. They would just ramp up these other
things to make up for lost profits in pot sales.

The way things are now, simple possession is ignored unless it is for
dealing, and dealers are criminalized. This is how it should be.

Many voices are calling for the legalization of pot. One wonders, are
these people on drugs?

Ken Cornelis,

Surrey
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MAP posted-by: Matt