Pubdate: Wed, 04 Apr 2012 Source: Eagle Valley News (CN BC) Copyright: 2012 Sicamous Eagle Valley News Contact: http://www.eaglevalleynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4362 Author: Alli M. Graham MP IGNORES KEY POINT IN MARIJUANA DEBATE RE: Colin Mayes' column in the March 28 Eagle Valley News. Colin Mayes has conveniently avoided the main issue in his opposition to legalizing marijuana. Marijuana is a cash crop. Why else would all these illegal grow-ops go to such expensive, highly-technical procedures to maintain their operations? Take away the huge profit margin and it would flop just like any other business - legal or otherwise. Remember back in history when prohibition was tried, and what a fiasco that was? Now alcohol is legal yet abuse of it is every bit as dangerous as any other drug. I presume Mayes is a total abstainer as I saw no mention of alcohol in his account. The medical licences sold by the government for marijuana grow-ops is a farce, as exposed on TV just recently. If the federal government is truly interested in cost saving, then it should legalize marijuana, take the profit out of all these illegal sales and thus eliminate the high cost of all the prosecutions and court appearances of growers and distributors. Then, perhaps government could also afford to reverse its tampering with the pension system and leave it at 65. Alli M. Graham - --- MAP posted-by: Matt