Pubdate: Thu, 16 Nov 2017
Source: Recorder & Times, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2017 Recorder and Times
Contact: http://www.recorder.ca/letters
Website: http://www.recorder.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2216
Author: Larry Comeau
Page: 6

POT WILL COMPLICATE POLICE ENFORCEMENT

When Justin Trudeau first floated his plan to legalize marijuana he
said that this was the best way to keep this dangerous drug away from
our children by curbing black market sales.

As we have seen with the sale of cigarettes, after tens of millions
spent fighting against organized crime's involvement selling illicit
smokes, the battle is far from won.

Organized crime is involved in growing and selling pot in Colorado and
Washington states and will do the same here. This has been made easier
for criminal groups, as anyone is entitled to grow four plants;
virtually impossible to police.

What is truly mind-boggling is that after governments at all levels
have spent billions to wean Canadians off cigarettes, which is finally
having a positive effect, we will be adding marijuana to the mix.

This will have even more serious health issues than cigarette usage,
including addiction, and it will be just as hard to police organized
crime's involvement in illicit sales. Organized crime only needs to
switch commodities and no matter how low government sets the price of
its legal pot sales, it will become involved.

Expected huge windfalls are blinding Canadian governments to the
health, policing and many other serious problems that legalizing pot
means.

Larry Comeau

Ottawa
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt