Pubdate: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2014 Canoe Limited Partnership Contact: http://www.torontosun.com/letter-to-editor Website: http://torontosun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457 Author: Robert Sharpe Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n530/a05.html LEGALIZE IT Re "Cheech and Cons: Up in smoke" (Warren Kinsella, June 20): Is the Conservative Party on the payroll of Mexican drug cartels? Conservatives would have Canadians believe that the job of keeping drugs out of the hands of children is best left to criminals. Illegal drug dealers don't ID for age. Right now it's easier for kids to buy marijuana than beer. Taxing and regulating marijuana will restrict youth access to drugs, the really dangerous ones in particular. Marijuana legalization will close the gateway to hard drugs by taking marijuana distribution out of the hands of criminals that sell meth, cocaine and heroin. Marijuana may be relatively harmless, but marijuana prohibition is deadly. ROBERT SHARPE POLICY ANALYST, COMMON SENSE FOR DRUG POLICY WASHINGTON, D.C. (If you want Canada to legalize pot, get the U.S. to do so first. You know, the country you actually live in) - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom