"Legalizing marijuana is not the answer"

(a letter published in the Vancouver Sun,  Dec. 3, 2013)...

Re: Pot-smoking Mountie illustrates need to change drug laws, Column, Nov. 30

There are overwhelming reasons, evidence, and science against legalization of marijuana.

Taxes on legal marijuana would be offset by higher social, health care, criminal justice costs and lost workplace productivity. We'd have additional road carnage from more dopeaddled drivers. Myriad medical studies show marijuana's toxicity to cells, DNA; its links to schizophrenia and psychosis in some people, memory problems and increased risk of cancer.

Marijuana has all the noxious chemicals contained in tobacco except nicotine. One in 10 users (and one in six among adolescents) develop dependence.

Legalization would send mixed messages to kids about drugs. Displaced pot-pushers and distribution channels would be driven into more deadly designer drugs. There is a race to produce ever-increasing THC content levels. Australia reports THC topping out at 40 per cent, compared with the two-to-four per cent reefer of the 1970s. So let's get real: There will always be some form of marijuana prohibition.

Colorado and Washington face a raft of implementation fears and challenges, including black market price undercutting, while in the Netherlands a judge, provinces and towns have all made rulings against cannabis use in an attempt to contain serious and evolving marijuana industry problems.

Rob Brandreth-Gibbs,
Vancouver
Source: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Legalizing+marijuana+answer/9239899/story.html#ixzz2reeilGph

Seniors Home Grow-Op Found In New Brunswick

By Kevin Bissett, The Canadian Press Posted: 11/20/2013
FREDERICTON - There needs to be an independent review of inspection policies following the discovery of a marijuana growing operation in the basement of a special care home for seniors in New Brunswick, the province's Opposition Liberals said Wednesday.

The party's social development critic said he finds it difficult to understand how marijuana could be grown undetected in a facility that is subject to inspections and entrusted to care for the elderly.

"Seniors could have been badly injured, or could have died as a result of this," Victor Boudreau said in the legislature Wednesday.

The RCMP say they seized 550 marijuana plants and marijuana growing equipment Friday after a fire erupted at the Forever Young Special Care Home in Clarks Corner. The six residents of the home safely escaped.

Investigators said they believed the fire was related to the marijuana growing operation .......click "Read More" below to continue....