I was wondering people's stand on the decriminalization/legalization of marijuana. I live in BC where big busts are happening every week or so. I know some probably won't believe me, but its true: I am a 17 year old male who has never even tried or thought about trying marijuana so I am sorta unbiased on the situation. I always read in the paper "2 million dollars spent in marijuana sting" or something like that.

Now imagine if the government didn't use that money for stings/busts, but instead put it towards healthcare, education, road work etc. The government could even grow their own "dope" and sell it like cigarettes, tax the heck outta it. If they could grow it and sell it cheaper than dealers, it would limit grow-ops.

Now I don't know much yet about major US/Canada relations, but I can see the US is having a big factor in slowing the decriminalization/legalization of the stuff. I think that there is worse stuff the police should be worrying about than "bud". Now I don't know about how the things have worked out in Amsterdam with the laws. I would like to hear people's opinions on the matter.

   

FGunny how the lawa in Holland are.. Smuggling of pot is illegal, but if you DO get it into the country its ok to sell in small amounts and to posess in smmall amounts,, I remember when I was over there, going intop a coffee shop, or the infamous BullDog pub (one of 5 in Amsterdam) and watching the dealer work, He sat in the corner and you went to him and asked what was good, or what he had.. he;d open the drawer and show you, and you piadf and took your stuff. You couldnt smoke it inside, but you could smoke out on the patio...

   

It is time to legalize the use and control the distribution of Marijuana.
Take it out of the criminal hands and use the tax revenues as a source to fight the war on heron.

I personally would never smoke the stuff..but it makes a great tea

   

Legalize it.

   

Make it legal. Let each person grow two plants on their own. If they want to grow more than two and sell it, license them. Either that or form a marketing agency (like the Wheat Board) to grade and purchase the crops and sell it to licensed retailers.

Come to think of it, I could manage a decent crop in my backyard for extra income...a couple rows of pot between the tomatoes and the corn, and a row all around the garden. Here's a little secret...if you rim your garden with pot plants, it keeps the bugs off your garden, but the bees still come to pollenate things. I heard that from an old Ukranian woman who heard from an even older Dukabor woman, and I've been dying to try it ever since..

   

Legalize it. Let the police worry about real crimes.

   

If this is a poll then my vote is to legalise it - enough is enough I say! The flatfeet want 25 cents a month from every telephone number in Canada - it's not enough they can't manage their business, now they want a direct line to your pocket - why they don't chase the Attorney General of Canada for the actual proceeds of crime is obvious - but this sucks - Legalise the stuff, have a happy more portly and cheerful population more given to demonstrations of love, make a profit, spend it wisely, leave people alone and go about the business of chasing real bad people.

But that's just my not-so-humble opinion. . . . .

   

The other day, I think it was Saturday, at work we watched the RCMP watch a dealers house that just happens to be across the street from my work. Four cop cars moved around the neighborhood and few not so undercover cops pretended to go in and out of the coffee shop and the 7-11 almost always watching the house. We figured that dealer was expecting a shipment and the RCMP were tryin to get it. After about two hours the RCMP packed up and left with nuthin to show for all their efforts. So just how much money did that little afternoon shadow game cost you and I? Four cruisers and I'd say 10 officers for two hours. Now if dope was legal, this waste of cash wouldn't have happened and those officers would have been hopefully doing something worth while.

   

Which brings up a whole other side to the issue of legalisation. There is a not-so-small industry grown up around prohibitions against drugs. It employs a lot of people in law enforcement, the courts, and all of the related fields. How much of pot's continued illegality in Canada has to do with lobbying by the anti-drug industry?