Pubdate: Fri, 18 Dec 2015
Source: Expositor, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Brantford Expositor
Contact: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/letters
Website: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1130
Author: Tim Hopkins
Page: 6

DRUG LAWS HAVE COST

Re: Legalizing pot not high on list for our new PM (Dec. 16)

Columnist Michael Den Tandt tells pot enthusiasts it's time to sober 
up to the more complicated realities of marijuana legalization 
following the election of Justin Trudeau.

Given, of course, that black markets will continue to undersell any 
government approved dispensaries, he cites other potential "public 
costs" of legalization, but conveniently neglects to mention the very 
real social, political and economic toll of drug law enforcement.

There is the cost of rounding up and incarcerating thousands of 
non-violent people, the fading civil liberties, the implementation of 
domestic law enforcement, the lives devastated by imprisonment.

Perhaps drug law reforms are not on any major politicians' 
"to-do-list" but they should be a priority for any Canadian who values freedom.

Tim Hopkins Brantford
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom