Pubdate: Wed, 14 Aug 2013
Source: Standard, The (St. Catharines, CN ON)
Copyright: 2013 St. Catharines Standard
Contact: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/letters
Website: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/676
Author: Jim Brady

LEGALIZING MARIJUANA WOULD SAVE BILLIONS

Recent articles have indicated that the federal government under 
Health Canada has decided to take what seems to be punitive actions 
against people with medical permission to use marijuana. At the 
present time, individuals have received doctors' advice and 
permission to use marijuana to assist in pain relief and recovery. 
They have been allowed to grow in small amounts marijuana plants for 
their own use. Health Canada has decided that by February 2014, their 
option will be to purchase from government authorized agents only. 
The proposed costs far exceed what most people can afford.

As a result, they will be forced to get their marijuana elsewhere. 
The winners in this ruling will be the pushers who already make 
significant profits because marijuana is illegal. Costs, which are in 
the millions, for police attempts to control the selling will just go 
up. People who use this drug and have been using it for most of their 
lives will be spending more than ever before. Legalization of this 
drug could save the country billions of dollars through taxes on the 
sale, reduced police costs and lack of profits to the illegal 
sellers. The federal government just doesn't catch on.

In the meantime, while the Conservatives take punitive action against 
medical users, the leader of the Liberal party has proposed 
legalization of marijuana.

What a choice. Punish the medical users and reward illegal 
distributors and give up millions of dollars in revenue, or legalize 
the product and use tax rewards to help people.

Jim Brady (a non user)

St. Catharines
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom